


Thank You for Being in My Life

by Peridot_Garcia



Category: The Owl House (Cartoon)
Genre: Agony of a Witch hurt me deeply, And Luz most of the time, Angst?, Did I Mention Angst?, Family Bonding, Gay Panic, Gen, I guess Lilith's here too, Ms. Rona really kept us from S2 smh, Oblivious Luz Noceda, Proud Mama Eda, She's gotta work for her full redemption, Starts off before all that drama, That one mysterious guy Dana drew with the red eyes too, Will eventually include said drama, Willow and Eda like to silently judge Lumity, but there's fluff too, i needed to write some fluff, there's def angst in here
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-08-23
Updated: 2021-01-08
Packaged: 2021-03-06 21:28:29
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 12
Words: 60,160
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26055730
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Peridot_Garcia/pseuds/Peridot_Garcia
Summary: Before the sickeningly-bubbly human, Luz fell into her life, Eda didn't have much entertainment besides outrunning the Emperor's Coven and scamming the citizens of the Boiling Isles. Now, she wonders how she used to live before the fragile human teen wormed her way into her aging cursed heart. This story follows Eda in between scenes when she's watching her dumb kids interact with one another. Mostly mother/daughter bonding for the Owl Lady and her adopted kids.
Relationships: Amity Blight & Luz Noceda, Amity Blight/Luz Noceda, Eda Clawthorne & King & Luz Noceda, Eda Clawthorne & Luz Noceda
Comments: 100
Kudos: 422
Collections: The Owl House





	1. Birds of a Feather

**Author's Note:**

> The newest episode absolutely wrecked me but also inspired to write from Eda's perspective because she's such a wonderful character. Honestly, if this was just a show about that funky little witch, I would have nothing to complain about. Enjoy!

When Eda allowed Luz to live with her and King, she didn't expect that the child would be quite so demanding. _Didn't humans lead boring lives in their world?_ Regardless, Luz was no boring teen. Since moving in, the place seemed...brighter. _Ugh, did I just make a pun using the poor girl's name?_ Currently, the young girl was reading that horrendous book to King again and she'd even dressed the part. At first, Eda had tuned out the useless dribble but then she caught a glimpse at the absolute joy on the girl's face. She was currently pretending that she was under attack and dueled imaginary forces. The older lady couldn't help but look on, a soft smile tugging at her lips. It kind of reminded her of her younger days when she would play with Lily in the forest.

There wasn't much that she remembered from those times, but the rush of joy it brought was heady like a large swig of her favorite brew. Luz jumped onto the sofa brandishing a tree branch like Eda was known to do with Owlbert. A week ago she might have believed that all Luz wanted was to learn magic, but Eda had quickly realized how attached the two had become. Luz had begun to mimic the witch more and more even if she hadn't realized it yet. Every time this thought bloomed in Eda's mind, a warm, fuzzy feeling also bloomed in her chest. She jumped as King began to clap for Luz, her performance finished for the moment. Eda was quick to clap for the child too, the Titan knew the child needed all the support she could get.  


"Hey, Eda," Luz called from across the room, "did you ever dress up with any of your friends?"  


"Ha!" King scoffed. "As if, Eda couldn't act to save her life." 

"Excuse me, but I happened to love play-acting as a young witch," the older woman informed. _Rude!_

"Really?" Luz beamed up at Eda before plopping on the ground, ready to be told a story about her mysterious mentor's past. 

"Well, it's been a really long time, but when I was but a toddler, my friends and I would run around the house pretending to catch bad guys." Eda frowned briefly. That certainly hadn't aged well. "When we began to learn magic, we tended to use illusions rather than destroying our wardrobe. Thankfully, we had a much more realistic fantasy than that trash you read." 

"It's not that bad, right King?" The little demon nodded in affirmation. "What did you wanna be when you grew up? It couldn't have been a wanted criminal." 

Eda chuckled. "I was almost as bad as you. I kinda sorta became what I wanted, it just didn't happen the way I was expecting. No one dreams of being a criminal; I blame that on Belos." Luz stared up at Eda, waiting to hear her childhood dream. Eda sighed, cheeks tinging pink ever so slightly. She rubbed the back of her neck and gave in to the teen's request. "I wanted to be the most powerful witch on the Boiling Isles and a member of the Emperor's Coven." Luz's eyes sparkled with awe. 

"You totally got what you wanted! And who needs the Emperor's Coven, they're nothing but a bunch of bullies anyways."  


"I see, so my lessons _are_ paying off," Eda chuckled with pride. Luz nodded quickly before taking a stand.  


"They're just so...mean to unique people, you know? All they do is try to force you to join a coven instead of letting others express themselves the way they want to. I hope that younger witches get the chance to use magic like you do so that this place could actually grow into a great society. So what if you know different types of magic? Back in the human world, we're told that knowledge is power, so why not learn it all? Then, you could all be awesome people like the Good Witch Azura who stops evil from destroying everything as we know it." The child had to stop to catch her breath. It wasn't often that she would work herself up, but any mention of the Emperor's Coven or the 'witch' Azura always made her passionate. It was cute, seeing her defend the older witch's beliefs. 

"Well, not everyone sees it that way, but I hope you're right. It would be nice to see the younger generations overthrow the corrupt seat of power in the Boiling Isles. Who knows, maybe you'll lead it." Belos could shove it. 

Luz launched herself at the reclining witch. Eda braced for impact as the small body collided with hers. She was doing that odd human gesture again and simply _refused_ to release Eda. "Do you really think so? I've always wanted to take on evil forces and help those in need!" 

"If I say yes, will you stop whatever it is that you're doing?" King scrambled in between the two, whining about his lack of 'huggies.' "Seriously kid, I'm falling apart over here." As if on cue, Eda's left hand popped off and bounced to the floor. Luz recoiled in disgust, taking King with her. The little demon ran off in search of snacks. 

"Eugh, that's so gross," she laughed before picking up the rouge appendage. "Here ya go." She held out the hand to Eda, who quickly reattached it with a few turns. "Why do they do that?" Luz asked. She leaned in to inspect the pale wrist with wide eyes.  


"It just happens when you turn older." It was easier to say that instead of, 'Hey, I'm turning into a walking corpse!' 

"I don't think humans do that when they get old," Luz whispered in fear. 

"That sounds like a nightmare," Eda replied. "I suppose you humans do have a shorter lifespan. Thank goodness I'm a witch, I guess." 

"Yeah, or else you would've broken your entire body by now," King yelled from the kitchen. "You're so careless, I'm surprised you haven't lost your head by now." 

"Eh, can't say the same for you, King. Little babies like you can't get up to much trouble." Eda smirked at the demon's scowl. "Besides, what's the point of magic if you can't use it to locate lost limbs? Sometimes, you find _other_ people's limbs too." King and Luz both frowned at the thought. "What? You never know when you need a spare hand." 

Suddenly, Luz perked up like King did when he found a position of power. "I totally forgot, I have something for you," the teen shouted with glee. "I'll be right back." She raced around the corner and was out of sight.  


"What is it?" Eda asked, looking over at King with a quirked brow. "It had better not be something you put her up to." 

"I did no such thing," King denied with his little arms crossed. "Whatever she has, she picked on her own." 

"If you say so," Eda huffed. And yet, she couldn't help but wonder what it was that the young teen had. When was the last time someone had given her anything without asking for something in return? Now she was getting really nervous. She shifted in her seat, eyes looking at the entrance every so often. It wasn't long before Luz's quick footsteps could be heard. The girl stumbled in with her hands behind her back causing the older witch to shift slightly to try and catch a glimpse.  


"I know we haven't done much magic training, but after the incident with the abominations and Warden Wrath, I wanted to show you how much I appreciate you always being there for me even though you don't really know me." Luz brought her hands forward to reveal a red mug with the words 'World's Best Teacher' in black on the front. "I know it's not much but I'm not exactly sure how you guys shop for gifts here," she mumbled. "There's another little gift inside." 

Eda took the cup into her cold hands, peering down at the porcelain offering. Inside, there was a red leather owl attached to a metal chain. Well, the kid certainly realized the witch loved her owl theme. Eda wasn't quite sure what to say. It was like she had something stuck in her throat and she couldn't quite swallow. Luz looked like she was dying to find out if her gift pleased her mentor. Clearing her throat, Eda chose to be honest. "Well kid, considering your lack of knowledge about the Boiling Isles, I'd say you did just fine. What's this little thing though?" She held up the leather animal and chain.  


"Oh, that!" Luz approached her mentor, pointing to the object. "It's a keychain. It helps you keep all your keys together so you don't lose them. It was gonna be a necklace, but I couldn't find a long enough chain." The teen held out her hand. It took Eda a moment before she realized that this was a demonstration, not a human gesture. Taking out her special dimension key, she carefully handed it over to the child. Luz showed Eda how to undo the chain before sliding the key onto the metal string. "See," she exclaimed, holding it up for the witch to see. "Now, if you can't hold onto it, you can loop it around something and that'll hold it for you."  


"Amazing," King shouted, jumping up and down to swipe the gift. "It's like a leash for your key Eda!" 

Eda blinked at the image before her. Luz was teasing King for being too short to reach the gift and giving such a bright smile it almost hurt to witness it. The older woman looked down at the mug still grasped in her hands. If someone had told her when she was young that she would have a bubbly human for an apprentice and a cute little demon for a companion she would've hexed the offending witch. But now...now Eda reveled in the thought that she had the best apprentice of all time dancing around with her oldest friend. Eda looked around for a way to show that she also appreciated the young teen and her hard work. Since the teen had entered her life, she'd dedicated her time to Eda and learning magic. Then there was that hiccup with Hexside... That's when a brilliant idea hit her. Sneaking off to grab her little surprise, and to set her new mug with her prized possessions inside her nest, Eda grabbed a rolled up piece of paper from her nest-side table. She entered the living room once more to find King and Luz lounging on the sofa. The teen let out a long yawn. 

"Oo, what's that?" King pointed out, gesturing to Eda's hair. He could see a piece of paper sticking out behind her right ear. 

"This," Eda began as she rummaged through her graying locks, "is my gift to Luz for being, you know, a great kid. I don't normally do this," she said. "I don't usually have anything to celebrate." 

"You've never given me a gift," King whined. 

"Hush up, King. This isn't about you," Eda scolded as she removed a rolled-up piece of paper. "Now, as I was saying, I think you're learning quite a bit under me and that deserves a reward." Walking over to her framed wanted poster, Eda taped Luz's banned poster to the bottom left corner. "There, our own little Hall of Infamy. What do ya think, Luz?" Instead of answering the witch as Eda had hoped, Luz tackled the older woman with another one of those ridiculous human gestures. She squeezed harder than Hooty was known to squeeze intruders and squealed higher than an angry King. Perhaps this was how she would die; strangled by a small human. 

"Ohmygoshohmygoshohmygosh, I love it soooo much! Thank you, Eda!!!" Thanks to the child's weak arms, she couldn't swing her mentor around like she wanted to, but Eda got the gist. 

"I'm glad you liked it," Eda wheezed out. It really was surprising that the teen had yet to break her aging body. The girl released her before kneeling on the couch with wide eyes. She watched as Luz stared up in pride to see her poster so close to Eda's. The older woman rested a hand on her hip, another smile claiming her face in victory. King giggled off to the side, pointing at Eda before running off. She glared at his retreating figure. Eda looked back to the couch to find Luz still staring at the wall but had shifted into a sitting position. "Right," Eda informed, "I'm heading off to bed. Thanks for the gifts." She grabbed her key and new keychain and turned to leave the room. 

"Hey, Eda," Luz called softly, her eyes starting to drift shut, "thanks for taking me in. I really appreciate it. I hope I'm as cool and awesome as you one day." 

The tooth-rotting sweetness that this child spoke was getting to Eda. She smiled as she walked over and grabbed a nearby blanket. "No problem kid. Get some rest," she whispered as the teen passed out. She covered the girl and wondered for the umpteenth time why this girl wasn't more cherished in her world. It was tempting, some days, to travel to her world have some strong words with the girl's mother. Sighing, Eda wondered what would happen when the girl decided to return to her world. "Nuh-uh," Eda told herself, "let's not get all sentimental over some random human." Gripping her keychain like a lifeline, the witch traveled up the stairs before drifting off to sleep in her cozy nest. Clutched in her fist for the entire night, her little leather owl kept her grounded. For once, she didn't dream about that awful night.


	2. "How did he get in?" "Intruda' window!"

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A few moments from "The Intruder" but from Eda's perspective because, really, her POV is a goldmine for writers. Enjoy! (also watch out for angst!) [The title comes from a joke in Doctor Who. River Song and Eda would be a badass team/couple.]

Before the rain had struck, Eda was taking a lovely stroll through the forest. She had gone into Bonesborough to sell some trinkets, but the market had been too slow for her liking. The clouds made the forest even more beautiful and cut off from the hustle and bustle of the nearby town. She heard the first hiss of rain as the house came into view. Not wanting to get boiled alive, Eda ran towards the house. Her young apprentice, unaware of the deadly weather, stood outside in anticipation of the falling droplets. "Boiling rain," the witch warned, grabbing the teen in the process. She launched them inside hoping Luz hadn't been burned by the rain. 

Eda did hurt the teen, but it was a minor scrape and nothing for her to worry too much about. "Alright, I need to put a protection spell around the house," the witch informed. 

"Oo, can _I_ watch?" Luz asked, dancing around the older woman. 

"Just stay under the roof and don't get hurt," Eda said. 

"Yesyesyesyesyesyesyes," Luz chanted, stepping outside but still under the protection of the roof. 

Eda cast a small protection spell over herself before heading further out. She cast the spell and felt like falling over. She _really_ shouldn't be doing such taxing spells, but Hooty wouldn't shut up about it if she didn't. She heard Luz making comments about her that just stroked her ego in all the right ways. If she hadn't felt like a badass witch before, she certainly did now. 

"Hey, why do they call you the Owl Lady anyway?" 

"'Cause I'm so _wise_ ," Eda lied. Although, she would argue that her experiences made her wiser than most. 

"'Cause she coughs up rat bones," Hooty interrupted. Damn that Hooty! So what if she accidentally ate a rat or two while cursed? It wasn't her fault! 

"I think it's 'cause she gets distracted by shiny objects," King informed in his cute little teacher outfit. 

"No I don't," Eda argued. _Did she?_

King wasted no time in proving his point and pulled out a light-up pen. 

Eda's reaction was immediate and she quickly became enraptured with the object. "It sparkles and shimmers and shines and delights. I _must_ have it for my _nest_ ~!" Without thinking, the witch launched herself at the demon, who easily dodged her attack. Her body did _not_ appreciate the lack of consideration the witch had for it. Luz helped her up to her feet. "Ugh, that forcefield really...took it out of me," she admitted. 

"Uh-oh," King said, moving closer to the two, "movin' a little slow. _Age_ finally catching up to you?" 

_The little..._ Eda pulled King's hat down over his face. He cried out in fear as the group went back inside. Silently agreeing that she _was_ moving a little slow, Eda planned to take a nap on the couch. Unfortunately, her apprentice had other plans. Despite her attempts at sympathy from the teen, Eda was coerced into giving her one short lesson. 

The boiling rain mixed with Luz's eagerness to learn magic was draining Eda faster than she cared to admit. Any other night, and she might have been a bit more receptive to the idea. Thankfully, her pupil was cunning and they'd both get something shiny out of this deal. She didn't have the heart to tell the teen 'no' in the end because it reminded Eda a bit of her younger self in Magic School. At least here, Luz would be able to learn _all_ forms of magic. Pushing through, Eda summoned up her strength for one simple spell. 

The first demonstration was executed flawlessly, but sleep aggressively began to tug at her eyelids. At first, she thought she was just tired until she blacked out for a brief second while talking. She blinked and found herself in her inner cursed mindset before she blinked again and found herself still in the living room. She was teetering forward, hand suspended in the air. Before she could tell anyone to have her carried to her room or to fetch her elixir she passed out from exhaustion. She hoped someone at least attempted to catch her. Her sleep was fitful like she couldn't get comfortable and the room was too hot. Later, she awoke to the darkness of her room and the hissing sound of rain. She scanned the area for her elixir but didn't see the golden liquid anywhere on her dresser. She tried to leave her nest, but her limbs felt heavy. Her vision began to grow fuzzy before shifting back to cursed mindscape. She growled in frustration as she stared at the slow-opening door before her.  


"Argh, not now!" Panic began to rise as she realized that she had now endangered the lives of her student and closest friend. "Come on, come on, wake up." The darkness continued to press in on her. Were they okay out there? Was she wreaking havoc as she remained practically unconscious? The fear was really beginning to set in as the mysterious figure began to manifest in the doorway. Perhaps she could use this time to try and remember who had the audacity to curse a child.  


Before she had time to approach the figure, for the briefest of milliseconds, a bright light filled the area and she caught a glimpse of who she thought to be Luz. "My mind must be playing tricks on me," Eda told herself as she was once again left in the darkness of her warped memory. "I should have told them sooner," she groaned. Suddenly, the entire area was flooded with bright light and her chest began to feel tight. She held her breath until she bucked forward, gasping for air. It took her a moment to realize that she was in her room, in her nest. She caught sight of her darkened gem and patches of feathers, prompting her to hurriedly drink more of her elixir. "Wh-what happened? Oh! I have the worst headache and my mouth tastes like _roadkill_." The urge to retch overtook her before she spat out a ball of gunk, which then split open to reveal a pink monkey demon. She decided that the demon had the right idea and lay still for a few brief seconds to figure out what exactly was happening.  


It was at this moment that she realized she was drinking from her missing elixir bottle. "I was looking for that," she said to no one in particular. 

"Actually, we found an extra one inside of your closet," King informed. 

How had she failed to notice that there was someone else right beside her? She spied the guilt her little demon friend failed to hide. "King?" she began, voice rising, " _King_ , you stole my elixir! I oughta break every bone in your little-" A prompt 'shh' cut her off as King pointed off to a corner of her room. Luz? Luz! The teen was performing magic all on her own and she'd missed it because of the curse. Oh, if she could beat her curser up right now it still wouldn't be enough! She was curious as to how the teen was doing magic without a bile sac, but King wasn't sure either. The furry demon told Eda how Luz had performed this little miracle while said miracle performer joined her and the demon at the nest. Despite Luz's newfound skill, Eda couldn't help but continue to be angry with King for stealing her damn bottle of elixir. She could have been a lot harsher on him than to just assign him chores, but at least the little guy accepted his punishment.  


Eda decided that it was time to come clean about the curse that had probably almost killed the two, or at least scarred them permanently. She was grateful that they hadn't asked, but they deserved the truth. "When I was younger...I was cursed. I don't know exactly how it happened. All I know is that if I don't take my elixir, well...that's why people call me the 'Owl Lady.' No one likes having a curse, but, you know, if you take the right steps it's...manageable." She looked away, not wanting to see the pity in her friend's eyes. She was not expecting to hear the next words spoken to her. 

"Whoa! So, are you okay?" Luz questioned, hands pressed together in worry.  


"There's nothing to worry about. It's all under control," Eda tried to reason. "As long as no one tries to steal my elixir, _King_ , then I'm fine. But hey, look at _this_ ; a _human_ doing magic. Good on you kid!" She didn't need the child to take on her problems. The poor thing probably needed to get some space from her to get over whatever happened while Eda was 'away.'  


Luz and King shared a brief sickly-sweet moment before Hooty ruined it with his incessant screeching. The two reassured her that she should continue to rest before leaving her again. The tiny little light orbs floated above her bed as she lay back down. She'd have to ask King what happened while Luz slept and then question Luz about her magic technique in the morning. Right now, all she wanted to do was catch up on some more sleep. Unfortunately, she was immediately met with her cursed memory one more time. She awoke several hours later to a dark, silent house. Eda could hear Hooty snoring loudly but the sun would be rising soon. More concerned with what happened while she was unconscious, Eda made her way over to King's room. Before she reached it, however, she heard odd little whimpers coming from Luz's room. Not one to pry, but not one to ignore sounds of distress, Eda found herself in quite the predicament. Should she go inside and find out why the child was crying or should she give her some space? She almost continued to keep walking before she remembered that she probably terrified the poor girl to the point that she was having nightmares. Hoping that she was wrong and it was just a nearby wounded animal, Eda silently opened Luz's door. Much to her dismay, Luz _was_ having a bad dream.  


Feeling even more guilty for the entire incident, Eda carefully woke the sleeping child. It took some shaking but the teen eventually opened her eyes with a gasp, hand up to protect herself. "Hey, it's okay," Eda attempted, but the girl still seemed spooked. "You doin' alright, kid?" The witch grimaced. Trauma was not a part of her curriculum and, yet, here she was with her traumatized student. It took a bit of blinking before the girl seemed to realize she wasn't in any immediate danger. Eda stepped back to give the girl some room. Why had she chosen one of the smaller ones? 

"Wha...?" Luz seemed to finally snap out of her dazed state and looked up at Eda. "Eda? What are you doing here? Oh no, am I late for something?" 

Eda shook her head. "Well, I was on my way to lounge on the sofa and you didn't sound like you were sleeping well," she said. The teen continued to stare at her in confusion. "Okay, look, you were obviously having a bad dream so I came in here to wake you up. And, you know, see if you were okay." Geez, this was a bit more awkward than she bargained for. "So... _are_ you okay?" 

Luz offered a small smile to the witch. "I should be now. What time is it?" She glanced out the window above her head to see the first signs of light in the velvet sky. "Oh, might as well get up." Eda frowned a little as the teen pulled herself up from the ground and stretched the sleep (or soreness, Eda couldn't really tell) out of her limbs. "Could you make me something similar to coffee?" 

"What's coffee?" Eda asked as she followed Luz out of the small room. How many pairs of this one particular outfit did she have? How did Luz keep her hoodie clean without having to constantly refer to magic? 

"It's a drink that helps wake you up in the morning or gives you energy when you're really tired," Luz explained, pulling Eda out of her thoughts. The bags under the girl's eyes told Eda that she hadn't really slept well the entire night. Luz yawned stopping in the middle of the living room when she noticed that witch seemed oddly quiet. 

Eda inhaled deeply. "Do you...," she grimaced, "do you wanna talk about it?" Luz gave her a confused look. "Ugh, kid, don't make me say it." Luz cocked her head to the side. Eda gave a small groan before stepping towards the teen. "Was, you know, the nightmare...about me? Do I need to give you space or...?" Eda looked away, ready to go back to her room and hideaway for a bit. Ha! What would the Emperor's Coven say if they learned this human teen made her hesitant and, dare she think it, maternal. Just as she took a step back, Luz wrapped her wiry arms around the older woman and pressed her face into Eda's shoulder. 

"Eda...what happened when...you turned all monstery, I know it's not your fault. It was a little scary, but I'll be fine," she mumbled into her mentor's shoulder. Luz squeezed tighter. "I just don't want the curse to take my teacher away from me." 

_Oh_ , Eda thought to herself, _this is new. I've never had someone worry about me like this before_. Sure, her parents did their best for her after the curse had been placed, but it was mostly out of fear of her strength, not because they didn't want their daughter to suffer. Now, here was a child that was afraid to lose her. Luz didn't pry into her personal life (well, not too often, at least), but it was nice to know that there were still people that cared about her on the Boiling Isles. When was the last time _Lilith_ had checked up on Eda anyway? But then again, she was busy running that silly little coven of hers. For now, she'd let the human do her thing to cope with what she saw. However, this brought up a sour thought. What would she do once the curse could no longer be held at bay? She'd need to think about coming up with some sort of contingency plan should that happen. "Luz, I'm gonna be fine, okay? Is the curse an inconvenience? Yes, but I haven't let it slow me down yet. I'm sorry that I didn't tell you or King sooner, but it hadn't acted up lately. I thought I was managing it better." Eda unwrapped the girl from her waist and ruffled her hair. "It's gonna take a little more than one teensy tiny slip up for this curse to get the best of me. If I promise to be a bit more careful, will you stop worrying about me and go back to your bubbly self?" 

Luz pondered the trade for a moment before adding, "can you still make me some coffee?" 

Eda chuckled. "Yeah, we don't have that here but I'm sure I can try whipping you something up. How's that?" 

"It's a deal," Luz said, grinning. Eda was more than pleased to see her kid smiling again. All was right once more on the Boiling Isles. Well, it was until Hooty entered the conversation. 

"What the heck, Eda?" He challenged, door slamming open. "I think I've been a pretty good house demon and you left me on the ground." 

"Yeah, well, it's gonna happen, Hooty. You'll be fine. I can see that Luz and King patched you up pretty good anyway." Hooty slammed shut in response, muttering to himself about going to roll in some mud. "He'll get over it. Come on, kid. Let's see if I can whip up a wicked brew to keep you powering the sun." Luz cheered as they entered the kitchen. A couple of hours later, King wandered in to find Luz passed out on the sofa and Eda talking softly to Owlbert. He hooted in alarm once he spotted King. 

"Whatcha up to, Eda?" 

"Nothing important, but I have some questions for you before I give you your chores list." 

The demon groaned before sighing in defeat. "Okay, what do you want to know?" 

"I want you to tell me what happened when I changed into my cursed form." 

After King had finished telling her what happened after she passed out, she sent him on his way to begin his long list of hard-to-clean chores. Checking over the sleeping Luz once more, Eda left the living room and wandered back to her room. She usually wasn't the brooding type, but this incident had brought up a lot of issues she'd been ignoring for the past several weeks. The first thing she decided to work on was fixing up all the damage she'd caused. She started by repairing the things in her room, but it quickly left her feeling drained. She sat in her nest, holding the little keychain Luz had gifted her. Both King and Luz had almost been hurt by her. Guilt was a feeling she had never really gotten used to ever since the curse had been placed on her, but now she felt it tenfold. She had already instructed Owlbert what to do should the curse fully take over and Luz was in danger, but even then, he could only do so much. Eda was going to have to start limiting her magic if she wanted to off-set the curse more. She didn't want to think dark thoughts, but Luz was fragile and Eda wasn't sure how she'd handle the news if she hurt the poor girl. For once, the curse felt more like a curse than an inconvenience. Maybe she should curse-proof the house should she turn again. She should probably find a way to keep Luz away from her too. 

Yup, she was definitely losing her edge the more time she spent with the teen, but the kid's positivity was addictive. King had once pointed out that he found himself to get bored more easily when she was gone. It didn't help that Luz still wanted to attend Magic School. King already missed her when she would bathe or leave with her friends for a quick outing. How would he survive once she went back to the human world? Eda sighed. The future was already so exhausting and it was barely noon. "You know what, I'll just take it a day at a time. Yeah, that's what I'll do. Less stress, more fun for the three of us." She smiled to herself and decided another nap wouldn't hurt anybody. Tomorrow, she'd set up her stand and let Luz call the shots. Eda was guaranteed to find the day filled with laughter and a few scrapes with the Emperor's Coven. "Oh yes," she mumbled sleepily, "it'll be the perfect day."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Two chapters in one day? It's more likely than you think! Anyways, we don't stan Lilith and I want Eda back asap. [I miss you, wife! I ain't ever gonna stop lovin' you, witch! (T^T)] Next chapter, I'll think we'll have Eda introduced to pre-Lumity. Hope you enjoyed it!


	3. The Witch's Apprentice

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Contains the early set up for Lumity (so, before Lost in Language). Eda meets a certain green-haired teen and her uppity, feather-brained mentor.

"So, Luz, what _exactly_ did you do to get banned from Hexside?" Eda questioned from her favorite spot on the couch. The teen had just finished washing off the abomination goop she'd acquired earlier in the day and entered the living room. Luz continued to dry her hair with a towel as she walked over to the older witch, a sheepish grin on her face. 

"So, uh, I was wandering around after I left you and King with the dead trash slug when I heard this girl, Willow, giving herself an awesome pep talk. But then, this other girl, Amity, came over and started being a jerk to Willow and had her abomination leave a star on her head. Willow got mad and created this wicked plant monster-thing and it pulled me over. I thought I was gonna die!" Luz spat out with a grin. "So, I convinced Willow to use me as her abomination so she wouldn't fail, but Amity wasn't buying it. She followed us all over the school and then brought the creepy principal who tried to cut me open!" The teen gripped at the hoodie covering her chest. "I thought I was done for, but Willow's friend, Gus, distracted the principal with more abominations. Willow and I took off, but we kinda got distracted, so we got locked in." Luz began to jump up and down, eyes wide. "And then, and then that slime ball turned out to be a _seed_! Willow almost destroyed the entire school so I could escape, but not before Amity showed up to try and capture me. I ran away so I could get you to help me save them, but well, you know what happens next." 

Eda began to laugh wildly. "You and your little friends caused a lockdown _and_ almost destroyed Hexside? Kid, you've made me proud." The older woman held her sides. "You better watch out King, Luz might take your title as Queen of Demons. That's the best 'wanted' story I've heard in a long time." Her laughter died off when she saw Luz's forlorn face. 

"Yeah, but, I wanted to learn magic there," the teen replied sadly. "I was gonna try to explain everything to Amity too." 

Eda straightened herself up and patted the space next to her. Luz dragged herself over and sat down heavily on the plump cushion. "Listen, kid, Hexside, and all those little students live in a box of blind obedience. They don't let witches learn more than one type of magic at a time and they...they just try to fit you to their mold. I know that my lessons are different from theirs, but it lets you be you. And this...Amity, she sounds like a loser." _Like Lilith_ , Eda wanted to say. Whoever this teen witch was, she reminded Eda of her prissy older sister. The perfectionism and strict conformity to the rules were textbook Lily characteristics. Eda was aware that Luz was still upset about being banned, but hopefully, she would understand why the schools on the Boiling Isles were just a trap for young minds. "You know, other than me, I don't think anyone else has caused that much trouble at Hexside," Eda informed with a smirk. "I was quite the rebellious witchling and I almost made Principal Bump retire early." 

"Really?" 

"Oh yeah. Poor guy could never catch a break. Ah, memories," Eda said, the last part a little more wistful than she'd like to admit. 

"Well, now that I'm banned, I bet I won't have to deal with Amity. I just hope that I didn't make it worse for Willow and Gus." 

"Eh, they'll be alright. It's you, I'm worried about. Don't want this Amity or her bully friends to try and exact some sort of revenge." Eda glanced at Hooty's backside, hoping the demon continued to guard the house diligently. It wouldn't do for her apprentice to be attacked by some petty teens. 

"Aw, thanks Eda," Luz said, embracing her like she was known to do several times a day. 

"Gross, what is this?" Eda questioned. This was like, what, the fifth time she'd done this today? Humans were such weird creatures. Didn't they understand personal space? 

"Eda," Luz groaned, "how many times do I have to tell you that this is a hug? Haven't you ever been hugged before?" 

"No," Eda ground out. She was fighting the urge to shove the child off, but then that would upset the teen. 

"Really? But Gus and Willow know what hugs are. And, I'm sure I saw some people in Bonesborough hugging too." Luz cocked her head to the side, finally releasing the witch. Have you really _never_ been hugged before?" 

"No, and I've never seen anyone do that before either. Who would want to? More importantly, _why_ would you want to...do that?" Eda felt her lips curl up in a snarl as King came over. 

"Yeah. Why do people do that, Luz? Is that how you strangle your human enemies?" 

"No," Luz answered, shocked. "You hug people when you're happy or if they're sad. It just...I don't know, feels nice." 

"I don't know, kid. I think I like King's idea better." 

"Let's just go eat supper. If you don't want me to hug you anymore, just let me know," Luz informed. 

Eda frowned as the girl, downcast once more, began to leave. "Well, if it's that important to you, you could, you know, keep doing it," the witch mumbled. "Just don't expect me to do it back, it's too weird." 

Luz's head shot up. "Really?" Eda nodded in response. Instead of hugging Eda again, Luz decided to dance her way to the kitchen. King followed after her, asking more about these 'hugs' that Luz liked to give. Shaking at the thought of the small girl being so...so disgustingly cheerful was just blegh. 

Some time passed before Luz was reunited with her friends at the market. The teen was no longer having nightmares about a certain owl monster, much to Eda's delight. She might like being feared and respected, but she never wanted to see Luz or King recoil in fear at the sight of her. Eda was grateful to the two students distracting Luz. Any longer listening to that stupid book and she might have to leave in search of her 'special night juice.' 

"Eda, can we go?" the teen begged. 

"Absolutely not," the witch shot back. Luz lowered to the ground in defeat. "I never joined a coven for a reason," Eda continued. "Sure, it's like a fun club for witches. But you're also giving up your magical independence to be part of a crooked system." All children seemed displeased at this point. _Nice going_ , Eda scolded herself, _you're crushing the dreams of children._ "Eh, but, you know, no judgment. In any case, I haven't been to one since we were girls." 

"We?" Luz questioned. 

Darn, her pupil was too observant. Once something intrigued her, Luz would study it for a while. Eda tried to convince the teen that they weren't going. Unfortunately for her, Luz outsmarted her and they were soon inside the convention grounds. _Hm_ , Eda wondered to herself as she looked at all the posters plastered to the walls and columns, _I wonder if they put up enough wanted posters?_ If it weren't for the awe in Luz's little, yet still surprisingly wide, eyes, she would have just gone home. However, the teen was so used to getting herself in trouble, it wouldn't do to leave her all alone. Even King wouldn't be much help by himself. No, Eda would chaperone the kids and keep them out of trouble as well as get some entertainment and loot while at the covention. Luz helped her hide her hair before she wandered further up ahead with her friends. She could hear the two little nerds pointing out all the different types of covens and a jab at her grumpiness. She almost turned on her heel when she spotted the Emperor's Coven, but then some dang weirdo figured out her identity. Hopefully, Luz wouldn't be too enamored with the coven and would rather go home. Eda must have been having some bad luck because when the mystery guest turned out to be Lilith, well she definitely wasn't going to stay now. Luz tried to keep her longer, but Eda would rather go home and forget how obedient her sister had become than stay another moment longer. 

After leaving Luz by herself, Eda spent a little time looking for her wayward furry friend. When she didn't spot him, she headed straight for the exit and almost made it before a voice stopped her. 

"Sister? It's been so long since I've seen you last." 

Ugh, Eda was already tired of hearing that smug voice. 

"What are you _wearing_? You look like some sort of trash collector." Lilith was _really_ laying on the high-horse attitude now. "Oh right, you are." 

No one could blame Eda for embarrassing Lilith in front of little kids. Then, her sister had the audacity to claim that Eda was only in attendance to join the Emperor's Coven. How silly of her older sister, Eda could almost laugh. And then she did. The two were soon having a heated argument about who was better. It seemed no amount of time had cured her darling sister of her petty jealousy. It kind of stung, if Eda was being honest with herself, to know that Lilith wanted Eda to join the Emperor's Coven more than she wanted to truly reunite with her baby sister. But now, now Lilith was practically telling Eda that she would never be good enough to even teach a student! How outrageous her sister had become under that delusional maniac. Fate had a twisted sense of humor. No sooner had she promised her sister a battle between students, Luz popped up to inform Eda of her witch's duel with some girl. 

Of course, the witch Luz had challenged _would_ be the bully the girl had mentioned before. But now, Eda knew why the witchling was so similar to her prim and proper sister. Yes, fate was definitely quite the comedian. To add insult to injury, Lilith decided that insulting Eda wasn't enough and moved on to Luz. The urge to shove her sister away grew with each snarky comment out of Lilith's mouth. Although, she was surprised when Lilith removed her wanted posters so the two teens could duel. And, _maybe_ Eda should have pushed the duel to a later time, but man was her sister annoying. She'd agreed before thinking about the fact that Luz only knew one spell. There was no way she could teach the young girl how to duel in one hour. She still wasn't sure how Luz had even figured out her _first_ spell. Boy, she'd really messed up this time. 

Slipping away from Luz for just a little bit, Eda entered the theater. Maybe Luz would be against cheating, but Eda's pride and Luz's safety were on the line with this duel. Where was King in all this? He should have been looking out for the teen and keeping her from challenging others to duels she couldn't properly fight in. This was all starting to give her a headache. Eda wished Luz had at least stopped to think about what she was getting herself up to. After setting her traps, she went back to Luz who was staring at a blank sheet of paper. 

"So I really can't stop her with any light spells?" The teen questioned desperately. 

"Not at your level, it won't." Eda crossed her arms. "Why did you even challenge that girl in the first place?" 

"She stepped on King's cupcake and was being mean. I had no choice," Luz explained. "King begged me to fight for him." 

"Of course he did." Eda was going to strangle the demon when she saw him. "It's almost time, so why don't we head to the arena." Luz followed her, anxiety rolling off the girl in waves. And, as she'd guessed, Luz didn't want to cheat in this fight. Eda had to hand it to her. The fight, though unfair, was more about pride than skill. If it were Eda, she'd probably choose to squash her opponent with raw talent that silly little traps. Although, Luz decided to use the traps to her advantage, which Eda couldn't fault her for. Her opponent seemed awfully powerful for a young teen. If only Luz would let go of her tight morals and crush the Blight already. No such luck, as the day had already shown. 

The fight would have been in Luz's favor had she realized Lilith cheated first. She let Luz chase after her embarrassed opponent while she stayed to further embarrass Lilith. Eda was almost delighted to have pissed her sister off to the point that they were now dueling. But in the end, this was still her sister and she still valued her freedom. Making use of her curse, Eda distracted Lilith enough to make a getaway. She spied Luz and King, rushing over to take the three of them home. She was in high spirits despite her sister having almost capturing her for Belos. But then Luz asked her something she couldn't quite wait to answer when they got home. 

"Eda...Do you think I'll ever be a true witch?" Boy, that was one frown the kid was pulling. 

Eda quickly came up with a speech that no one was a true witch, but really, she was wondering who the hell had upset her kid. She would throttle the being within an inch of their life, then let Luz use them as target practice for new spells. She didn't exactly lie to the teen. There was no such thing as a 'true witch' on the Boiling Isles. She hoped that Luz understood what she was trying to say, that her words would remotivate the teen to continue studying magic. If Luz even shed a single _tear_ the titan wouldn't even be able to hold Eda back. That was _her_ misguidedly optimistic student and no one would break that precious soul. Thankfully for everyone else's sake, Luz perked up at Eda's reminder that you had to be your own witch. If anything, she seemed to walk taller as they exited the building. Woof, this kid was making Eda feel old with all her angst and rash decisions. It was a nice reminder that there were some things worth fighting for like your friend's honor. And if Eda ever saw that little green-haired witch, she might have some very strong words with her. At least, Eda would tell her something to make her reconsider joining the Emperor's Coven. For now, she'd be content with the knowledge that Luz hadn't given up even though the odds weren't in her favor and still faced her enemy. Eda couldn't be more proud of her apprentice. She'd be a great witch someday.


	4. Back to School

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The moments leading up to and during "Something Ventured, Someone Framed." In order to ensure that Luz is in the right environment, Eda considers what that might be and how to help the young girl.

Ever since Luz had been banned from Hexside, the teen gradually accepted the fact that she wouldn't be able to attend a magic school on the Boiling Isles. That was until the little boy, Gus came crashing in asking for the teen to come to save him from losing to another young boy. Eda watched as Luz told the boy she couldn't, sourly reminding him that she was still banned. The topic was starting to really grate on her nerves. 

"But nothing," Eda interrupted. "Bump did you a favor. There ain't nothin' for you at that dweebus factory." She cast a glance at the young boy. "No offense, dweebus." Thankfully, the witch didn't take it to heart and Eda continued to rummage through her box of junk. A loud crash had the older witch turning back to Luz. She'd never seen the girl this angry before. 

"I would _love_ to go someday," the brunette challenged. She stood to look down on Eda. "Better than unpacking boxes in the _Eda_ coven!" 

Eda frowned. Did Luz just inadvertently tell her she was a bad mentor...again? 

" _Ohhh_ , you think you're clever, huh?" Eda responded. She stood up, unwilling to have a child tower over her like Lilith was known to do when they were younger. King didn't hesitate to encourage the two to fight, which Eda quickly put a stop to. "Can it King," the woman admonished. Turning back to Luz, she continued defending herself from the angsty teen. "First off, it's the _Bad Girl_ coven. And second off, I guess you don't want in on the t-shirt order, huh?" Everyone knew the girl needed more. She wore the same one every day. 

"I don't care about t-shirts, Eda. I _want_ to learn magic; and they teach that at Hexside," Luz responded heatedly as she gestured towards Gus. 

Okay, so Luz didn't want a shirt. Fine! But learning magic? What was she, the most powerful witch? Chopped lizard? Sheesh, the guts on this kid to practically say Eda was incapable of teaching one human magic. She could feel her blood pressure rising by the second. "I mean, yeah...well...ghhh," Eda failed to put words together. If she wasn't careful, she could end up saying something to upset the kid, and then she'd be out of a student. "I don't wanna hear another word about Hexside," she informed her audience and moved away to the front door. "Unless it's Hexside's on _fire_ and...let's grab _front row seats!_ " She didn't wait for a response and exited the house. She took several deep breaths to calm herself, pacing in front of the house. A couple of minutes later, Gus left the house, waving at Luz who had stayed inside. 

"Bye, Eda," the kid offered sweetly. 

"Yeah, whatever," Eda grumbled in return. She watched as the boy disappeared down the path back to Bonesborough before letting out a long sigh. She'd wait a bit just in case Luz was still mad with her. The sun was almost completely down when King called her to come back inside. They sat down for dinner in terse silence. 

"I'm going to Hexside tomorrow," Luz informed quietly. Despite her shy admittance, Eda could still hear the excitement Luz was no doubt feeling. "Gus is gonna come by in the morning and I'll walk with him to school." King looked between the two, a hint of amusement in his golden eyes. 

Eda sighed. "I won't stop you," she told the teen and continued to eat in silence. 

"I'm just going to look at some human stuff with Gus and then I'll come right back," Luz admitted, voice stronger now. "I'm not going to learn magic or anything while I'm there." 

Eda looked over at her student and gave a soft smile. She wouldn't hold curiosity against the child and patted the teen on the head. "Well, as I said, I won't stop you. Go, have fun with your friends." Luz nodded excitedly and the dinner continued with a more positive atmosphere. 

The next morning, Gus arrived to pick up Luz as he promised. Eda had hoped the entire time that Luz might've changed her mind overnight, but the girl still walked away with Gus. Only _slightly_ upset, Eda sat down on the concrete in front of Hooty. 

"What's the matter, Eda? Missing Luz already? It's okay to be sad about your kid leaving. Hoot-hoot," Hooty questioned from above. "Oh look, a _fly!_

"I'm trying to _protect_ her," Eda corrected. She picked up a harmless, fragile blue flower and held it up. "Hexside chews up anything unique and spits out bland mush," she explained, tearing the petals off and letting them scatter to the ground. How could Luz want that for herself? 

"I chew insects," Hooty informed. "I turn _them_ into mush." 

Eda brought her knees up to her chin, feeling none too great about today. "But that's _my_ beef," Eda continued, ignoring the demon. "Does _she_ need to draw her _own_ conclusions?" Maybe that's why Luz kept pushing to go to Hexside and Eda couldn't understand it. Luz needed to experience Hexside herself to see if it was the right path for her. Just because it had failed Eda and other wild witches didn't mean that it was a bad system for Luz to use. 

" _My_ beef is insects! _They're_ what I eat," Hooty added. 

If he weren't so darn funny and useful all the time, Eda might've traded him for another house demon. She leaned back with a smile. "You're just gonna be unhelpful, huh?" 

"All _I_ know is, you taught me and I turned out _just_ fine," the demon replied before attempting to catch a fly with his tongue. 

Eda had an epiphany watching Hooty forget he could just stretch and eat the fly just fine. "I gotta get that girl into school," she told herself. She was not about to waste Luz's potential if she turned out like Hooty. Well, that settled it. Eda summoned up Owlbert and left for Hexside immediately. She'd wasted enough time as it was. Upon arriving at Hexside, Eda felt a shiver of disgust looking at the would-be castle of knowledge. "Ughfff, I've had _this_ nightmare before." _For Luz_ , she reminded herself and entered the building. 

It certainly felt like only yesterday Eda had hexed some nerds for mocking her friend. The halls were eerily quiet for a place filled with so many students. It did take her a couple of minutes to remember where Bumpykin's office was. Boy, wouldn't he be glad to see her again? She let herself in, of course, she wasn't known for her patience when it came to adults. Inside Bump was trying to scare some kid into doing better or some nonsense. "Beat it, kid, I have more important things to discuss with the principal," she said from the doorway. She almost laughed at the look on the principal's face but felt she was already on thin ice for interrupting his current conversation. Bump waved the monster child away, who quickly scrambled passed Eda and down the hall.

"Won't you have a seat, Ms. Clawthorne?" Bump offered with a blank face. 

"Don't mind if I do," she accepted. "It's been quite a while since I sat here, huh?" Eda took and pencil, placing it between her nose and mouth while leaning back to throw her feet on Bump's desk. "I gotta admit, it's extra _weird_ without you _yelling_ at me for picking fights or stealing," she said with glee and a hint of sentiment. Poor Bump, he looked like he needed a _long_ break, maybe to even retire. Seeing one of the most troublesome students in your office after some time will do that to you. 

"I can _easily_ change that," he warned, a spell circle forming above his right hand. With the smallest amount of satisfaction, he tipped Eda's chair over, dropping her to the floor. "What are you doing here, Edalyn?" Bump questioned, fixing his nameplate. Did she have a kid nobody knew about? That didn't fit her wild style, a child would only slow her down. 

Eda picked herself off the floor and attempted to fix the bird's nest that was her hair. _For Luz_ , she reminded herself and refrained from beating up the principal. "I want to," she stopped to blow a loose strand back into place, "I want to enroll my human, Luz, at Hexside. And before you get all judgy..." 

"That's not a bad idea," Bump interrupted smoothly. So the human _was_ affiliated with Eda. He should have known. 

"... _you know good_...Wait, really?" _Did he just say it wasn't a bad idea?_ Huh, this was gonna be easier than she thought. She thought she was gonna have to burn down the school to have a good reason why Luz wouldn't be accepted, but, this could work too. This was probably the first time Bumpykins had ever agreed with her. The titan must be waking up soon or she'd died and was dreaming. 

"I think the student body could learn a lot from having such an exchange student." 

_Hell yeah! Luz is gonna be so excited when I tell her_ , Eda thought to herself. She couldn't help from grinning. Eda would probably miss having the kid around all day but, eh, what the kid wanted, she usually got. Mentally giving herself a pat on the back, Eda resumed leaning back in her chair, feet resting on the desk. She was a fool to think she would get away with such an act even with Bump's back turned to her. 

"But, before I even consider that, there's a lot to be answered for." Bump, of course, knew her antics well and turned her upside down. He turned around with a large stack of papers and books. He sat down and waited for the Owl Lady to right herself a second time. 

"Oh right," she began, pulling herself into an upright position, "yeah, I heard _all_ about that abomination incident." 

All the stuff she'd done, and she thought this was about her pupil. How fun it wasn't going to be to finally get some retribution for the stress she'd caused him. "Oh, I'm not talking about _Luz_ , I'm talking about the necrotic experiments; the graffiti; the scams; the cheating; Miss Jenkin-Myers' teeth. The trouble _you_ caused when you were here, Eda." Revenge was sweet! 

Eda slid down her seat at the list. _He sure can hold a grudge, can't he?_ She sat up to look at the stack he dropped in front of her. But...the stack seemed a little shorter. "Huh, I thought there'd be more..." Was it directly because of the curse or a side effect of rapidly aging because of the curse? Hm. Well, in any case, she'd be stealing the stack for her private collection. There certainly was a lot to do, and if she wanted to surprise Luz today, she'd have to get a shift on. She followed Bump to a set of lockers she'd tagged in her younger days. It had been one of her first pranks at Hexside. She'd hexed the graffiti so that it was almost impossible to remove, with or without magic. Now, all her old pranks were back to bite the hand that'd created them. 

"Ugh," she exclaimed, tired at the thought, "I don't wanna do this!" 

" _There's_ the whiny, rebel teen I remember," Bump replied. He slapped her back and handed her a mop. "You'll need this, to clean up all the hexed graffiti you left us. Good luck." He would never admit that he was impressed Eda's graffiti had never come down since she'd first placed it. She had always been an exceptional witch. It was a shame she'd been cursed and decided to forego finishing school. 

Eda watched him leave, the urge to throw the broom at the back of his head warring with her desire to enter Luz into Hexside. _For Luz. For Luz. For Luz_ , she repeated to herself like a mantra. Facing the lockers, she slammed the wet mophead against the lockers. After chasing the graffiti around for a few seconds, it decided to plea for its life. Now, that was just rude. How dare it grow sentient and try to guilt-trip her? "Look, I need you to stop running away," she argued with the paint. "I've got another child that needs to be here more than you, so...shoo!" They continued their game of tag until Eda began to question whether or not she could just blow up the damn lockers. On the other hand, _damn_ she was good!

Thirty minutes later, Eda had finally destroyed one of her beautiful creations. She still had hundreds to go, but at least Bump couldn't do anything about the cheating or stealing she'd done all those years ago. She could tell he was more than satisfied to see her own work come back to make her miserable, but the words 'for Luz' continuously repeated in her mind. Nope, no matter how frustrating the next task was, she wasn't going to give. Up. "What's next?" she asked. And, of course, it would be the teeth next. Then it was the abandoned grudgby field, then a classroom she'd hexed and filled with snot. She unhexed a bell she'd forced to sing musical numbers, put out an eternal burning ball that would randomly attack teacher's belongings and stain them black with soot. Next, she had to de-ghost the girl's changing room. That one was going to be particularly tricky and her feet were _killing_ her. 

That was it, she was gonna kill Bump! He couldn't do this to her. So she pulled a few, well, more than a few, pranks in her day. No one got hurt, so why waste both of their times with pointless chores? She was just a kid when she performed all these spells, was there really _no one_ who could remove her spells? That was kind of sad for Hexside. Maybe Luz _shouldn't_ go here after all. Speaking of, where was that girl anyway? Eda was surprised she hadn't accidentally run into her on her trip down memory lane. She captured the last ghost and stumbled her way out of the changing room. Surely he would spare her; she was quite old now, after all. She must have missed some because goop and the remaining few plastered themselves to her. 

She slammed the bag of still-moving ghosts down. "There! The girl's changing room is ghost-free." 

Are you ready to give up? You've _barely_ scratched the surface," Bump mocked. He pulled a ghost out of her wild hair to showcase his statement. 

She could do it, she could just blast the geezer and burn the school down. She turned away from the principal with a growl and spotted two girls nearby. An illusion track student helped a bard track student before praising the 'power of friendship,' disgusting Eda in the process. "Ugh, they're just as bad as Luz. She'd love it here." With that in mind, Eda was once more motivated to see the job through. Luz was getting in no matter what. "Alright, what's next Bumpykins?' 

He held up a plunger with a devious smile. 

Eda growled, wishing she had the strength to deny Luz just this once. She'd forgotten about stuffing some of the bathroom toilets with creatures. It had become a large-scale infestation and they had to be abandoned. Not a single one could remain in the plumbing system or they would just remultiply. To make matters worse, they would spit balls of blood at their enemies. She definitely needed her magic for this one. Despite all that, Eda finished surprisingly quickly and moved on to catch some wild animals she'd let loose. Double-checking her list, she realized with a rush of joy that she'd completed all the items Bump had tasked her. She sought him out and recounted the things she'd done. The two walked down the hall as Eda finished tallying up the list before stopping. 

"Ah, we should be good," she said with renewed energy. Eda couldn't wait to see the look on Luz's face. Maybe she'd make her something special for dinner too. 

"It should be very exciting to have a _real_ human exchange student," Bump admitted, shaking hands with the former student. 

"And you won't tell the Emperor's Coven about this, will you?" It wouldn't do to have to follow Luz to school to make sure she wasn't kidnapped. This was Luz's dream, not her's after all. She was relieved to hear Bump say Hexside was safe for the two of them. At least Luz would be safe from prying eyes and the Emperor's Coven wouldn't associate the two. Suddenly, the detention door began to violently shake like someone was trying to break out. Whoever it was, Eda was rooting for them. She'd never gone to the _new_ form of detention. It had been installed because of all her crazy antics and she almost felt sorry for future students. To her surprise, the door burst open and actually blew up. She had to meet this kid and maybe have two students. She liked their style! 

But then Eda saw Luz and she wasn't all that surprised. This was _her_ kid after all. Eda noticed that her other two friends were with her and that Luz was carrying another small child. Where _did_ she find the time to add more people to her friend group? _Oo, wait. I have to tell Luz the good news_ , Eda reminded herself. "Guess who got you into Hexside!!!" Before of Luz could really understand what Eda said, some nightmarish worm thing began to lunge for Eda. At the snap of his fingers, Bump had the things leave before someone got hurt. Eda was a fool to think Bump wouldn't be angry about the damage. 

"What did you _do_?" He questioned, stalking towards Luz. The kids backed up as he approached. 

Welp, there went all her hard work. "Ugh, kid..." She didn't really want Luz to get in yelled at in front of her. She flinched slightly as Bump rounded on her. 

"To think any student of yours would be capable of doing _anything_ but create chaos! Eda, take your student and _leave_! You are both _banned_ from this campus," he shouted. 

If Bump wasn't careful, Eda was gonna torch his home instead. The audacity! After all that he had her do and he was just gonna bar Luz from entering without finding out what happened? Oh yeah, he was gonna enter retirement early when she was through with him. She might even feed him to Hooty. No! Make him Hooty's eternal playmate. Yeah, that was a fate worse than death. But first, she needed to get Luz out of Hexside before her frown caused Eda to act sooner than planned. "Come on, kid," she said, motioning for the human to follow her. "Let's go," she added softly, placing her hands on the girl's shoulders for comfort. Not even her favorite food was gonna pull the teen out of this funk for a while. Just as Eda was making a plan of action, the really, _really_ nerdy friend spoke up. 

Gus took the blame and the punishment, much to Eda's delight and shock. Bump even revoked the ban on Luz and Eda. Today really had been something, that was for sure. 

"Hold on, hold on." Eda stepped in between Bump and Luz, shooing the older man away from her child. She bent down so that she was eye level with Luz. As much as Luz liked to think Eda hated the idea, the witch needed Luz to understand that she always had the teen's best interests in mind. "I'm only doing this because I have faith in you," she told Luz seriously. "And I know you're too smart to fall for that 'one witch, one coven' nonsense. You can learn a lot from the witches here." She cast a quick glance to Bump before adding, "And maybe teach them some of that _Bad Girl_ coven magic too." Ah, she loved making Bump worry about what trouble she could cook up next." 

Bump dished out the appropriate punishment and reward to the two boys before heading towards Eda and Luz. "Now, with _that_ accomplished, _Eda_ we have some paperwork to fill out." 

"Wait, I've gotta do _more_ stuff?" She groaned before ruffling Luz's already messy hair. "You better enjoy this place, kid." Eda followed the principal back to his office and signed the small stack of papers. This was it, no going back for the two of them. Now it was time for her witchling to keep moving towards greatness. "Which locker was she assigned? I wanna show her before we go. I know she won't be attending 'til next semester, but still." 

"Getting sentimental?" 

"No," she huffed, crossing her arms and looking away. 

"Well, you might be here in a moment." 

Eda looked over at him. What was the imp planning? 

"I assigned her your old locker. The two of you are similar chaotic souls so, I figured you wouldn't mind." 

Eda just nodded before standing up. She thanked Bump for allowing Luz to attend and stepped outside of his office. There was a small pain in her chest, like when Luz gave her a mug and keychain. It didn't make sense to her. She wasn't sad and yet...why did she feel like something had shifted. She heard laughter and saw the trio wandering the halls. "Hey, kid," Eda called out, "you ready to go?" 

Luz gave her a thumbs-up. "Lemme just say 'bye' really quickly." 

Eda gave her a nod and watched as Gus and Willow wandered down a separate hall. Luz jogged over a big grin on her face. "You like it _that_ much already?" 

Luz nodded quickly. "Thank you so much, Eda!" She wrapped her arms around the older witch, nearly knocking them to the floor. 

"Blegh," she groaned, arms lifted away from the teen. "Hurry up or I'm gonna vomit," she joked. 

Luz let her go and looked up at her mentor. "So, what're we doing now?" 

"Before we head home, I wanna show you something," Eda informed. 

Luz's eyes widened. "Oo, what is it? Do you have a trophy here somewhere for something cool?" 

Eda smiled. "Well, I do have a trophy, but no." She led the girl down a flight of stairs and stopped in front of a row of lockers. One of them opened its eye when it saw Eda and smiled. "Luz, when you start coming to school, that'll be your locker." Eda gestured to the grinning apparatus. 

Luz looked between the two for a couple of seconds before connecting the dots. She gasped, looking at the locker like it was a rare artifact. "This, this was _your_ locker, wasn't it? Oh man," the teen practically shouted in awe. 

"So what if it was?" Eda asked, trying to ignore the blush that was rising to her cheeks. Despite her aloofness, Eda wasn't blind to the adoration she received from the young girl. And so what if the witch felt a twinge of pride when Luz mimicked her or praised an old possession of hers? 

"Eda, this was _your_ locker! Like, you put your books in here and had conversations with friends right _here_. I'm getting to learn more about your secret past." She paused for a moment to stroke the locker door. "I think my brain's gonna explode." 

"If you do that, you won't be able to attend Hexside," Eda replied. "Look, kid, it's just a locker. Someone had it before me, and someone before them, and so on. What matters most to me is that it provides you with what you need." 

Luz back at Eda. She could see a little pain in the older witch's eyes. She almost forgot that the school system here wasn't all that great to her mentor. She pulled her hand back and smiled up at Eda. "I promise, I'm gonna be the best dang student ever." 

"I don't doubt it kid. Now, what happened that you ended up in _detention_ before you even became a student." They walked to the entrance as Luz told Eda about the little jerk, Matholospew, or something like that. "Well, I just gotta say, great job on destroying that place. You keep this up and you might even surpass the number of 'incidents' I caused." It felt great to know that her pupil was just as chaotic as she'd been. She'd be surprised if Bump didn't retire soon. With Luz, there was no telling what would happen. At least Eda followed a pattern; Luz was a rare, human wild card. 

After they got home, Eda sat down and pulled out the stack of incident reports that had been filed. She wished she could remember half the stuff she did, but she chalked the blanks in her memories to the curse. 

"Wow, Bump was _not_ exaggerating. You were a _terrible_ student," Luz said, pulling Eda out of her memories. 

"Hey, I wasn't _terrible_ , I was just...eccentric," Eda defended. "At least I never caused actual, structural damage," she teased. 

"Those were accidents." 

"Mhmm, sure." 

"How did you even manage to _do_ all of this?" Luz awwed at a picture of Eda resting on top of the 'giant bug-things' in Incident #2601. "You look so harmless." 

"I had my ways," Eda said with a smirk. "Looks can be deceiving, you know." She sighed at the book before closing it and placing it back with the stack of papers. "We can finish looking at them later. Let's get something to eat. You get to pick this time as a treat for, not only destroying a place I'm sure you'd end up in eventually, but for also getting into Hexside despite the destruction." Luz whooped and danced as the two tried to come up with a place to get food from. 

Later that night, Eda was glad she was able to get Luz into magic school. It obviously made her happy, and she would be able to spend more time with her friends. Maybe all of this would be enough and Luz would find a way to stay on the Boiling Isles for more than just a summer. She would have to learn to ignore the emptiness and boredom that came with Luz running off without her. _Disgusting! This is that feeling I felt when the Bat Queen's babies left. I'm being maternal_ , Eda realized. It shouldn't be a surprise to her. She risked being captured everytime she went with Luz somewhere and she'd done all that work just to get her into Hexside. And lately, well, lately she'd been referring to Luz as 'her kid,' at least, in her thoughts. There was no denying now; Luz was an integral member of the family and she'd die for the kid if it ever came down to it. Hopefully, that wouldn't be the case, but Eda would certainly protect Luz no matter what.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, whaddya know! It happens to be the first week of classes for me at my university. This one's longer because this episode alone gave me so much to work with. I know the show is centered around Luz, but if Disney ever made a spin-off for young Eda, I'd throw my money at them. (I know I haven't touched on "Lost in Language" yet, but I'm building up to it). If you haven't seen it already, go check out the promo for the season finale. We're all gonna die. I can feel it in my bones. Anyhoot, hope you enjoyed it!


	5. "Really, kid?" *facepalms*

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which our favorite Owl Mom realizes her adopted child is oblivious to Lumity. [Yes! 'Tis time for Eda to suffer an aneurysm from her daughter's inability to tell when she's being hit on. Mwhahahahahaha!] Starts at the end of "Lost in Language," has some "Adventures in the Elements" moments and jumps to "Enchanting Grom Fright."

"So," Eda asked after the three finished cleaning up the house, "what exactly did you do all night that you _just_ came home? All I sent you out to do was turn in some library books." 

Luz picked up _Otabin_ with a smile. "Oh, about that. I was at the library last night with Amity's older twin siblings. Did you know that the Wailing Star brings the books to life over there!?" 

Eda quirked an eyebrow. "Brings books to life? No, can't say that I ever heard of that happening. But that doesn't explain why you were gone for so long. Didn't you get bored?" 

"Well...that's not all that happened," Luz said looking to the side. "The twins were gonna prank Amity and I tried to stop them. Things...kinda got out of hand." 

"I thought you didn't like this 'Amity.' Why would you go through all that trouble for a bully?" 

Luz pulled Eda over to the couch. Seemed it was time for the teen to do her daily reenactments of the day's events. "So, I go to drop off your books, right?" Eda nodded. "And while I'm exploring, I hear someone sound angry. But then, I found Amity reading to children. It was _so_ cute! I told her that I could help her read to kids. She pretty much said 'no' and then her brother and sister show up. They were pretty...cool," Luz added with a blush. "Anyway, the twins called Amity 'Mittens' and then she got all red-faced. Amity left, but the twins and I went around pranking the staff and some other people. It was pretty fun." Eda smirked at that little bit of info. The kid was finally dropping the 'innocent' act. "Then, the twins told me to come back at midnight, so I did. That was when I found you guys and the baby multiplied into three." 

Eda gave a sad chuckle. She still missed those little guys. Maybe Bat Queen would ask her to babysit again. 

"When we got to the library, we discovered what the Wailing Star did and then we played around for a long time. Eventually, we went to the Romance Section and the twins showed me this secret room. They told me it was Amity's and that they were looking for her diary. They were gonna post the pages around the school, so I tried to get them to leave." 

"Why? If she's a bully, she deserves it," Eda interrupted. She had crossed her arms and was scowling at Luz's failure to prank the awful teen. 

"Nuh-uh," Luz said, shaking her head violently. "Even if she was a tattle-tale, you don't do something like that to family." 

"Fine, you win," Eda said, rolling her eyes. "Continue." 

"So, I was gonna leave when I saw... _The Good Witch Azura_ books," Luz yelled, smiling like a madwoman. 

Eda rolled her eyes a second time. "I should've known. So this girl's a bully _and_ has terrible taste in literature." 

Luz ignored Eda and continued. "Amity drew Azura on the cover of her diary and it was so cool. Then, I opened it 'cause I didn't know that it was her diary and a little Amity popped up. The twins found out and then we fought over the book but then some pages fell out. A bunch of little Amity's started talking about me and her home life. And then-" 

"Hold up," Eda said, stopping the teen again. "What did they say?" 

"What did who say?" 

"The little Amitys. What did they say about you?" She'd give the kid nightmares if it was anything bad. 

"I don't really remember. Just stuff like she saw me again and I confused her. It's not really important. What happened afterward; that's what's important!" 

Eda could beg to differ, but Luz always won so she didn't bother to argue with the teen. She gestured for Luz to resume her story. 

"Amity showed up and told me that she couldn't figure me out and then she called _me_ a bully. She ran out and her siblings didn't go after her. They asked if I wanted to go Goblin Tipping, but I went after Amity instead. She didn't want me near her, but then Otabin attacked us. Edric had changed his image in the book and Otabin became this terrifying rabbit creature. He captured Amity and started to sow her into a book so I tried to fight back by writing in Amity's diary. It...didn't go so well. Then, Otabin captured me and started sowing _me_ into the book with Amity." 

"What!?!?!" Eda nearly jumped off the couch in shock. "Kid, how do you find trouble in a _library_ of all places?" 

"Hey, I saved myself with my brilliant mind!" 

Eda groaned and dragged a palm down her face. This kid was gonna be the death of her, Eda could feel it. 

"Otabin was distracted for a bit, so I knocked the book down. Then, Amity and I booked (hee hee) it to the entrance. We stopped to catch our breath and I made Amity laugh. Otabin speared the book with a sewing needle. Amity got herself free. She magicked up an eraser by writing it down. I erased the claws and fangs on Otabin's picture and he went back to normal. Amity and I spent the rest of the night cleaning up the library and then I gave her the next Azura book. And then I came home." 

Eda sat with her mouth slightly open. Of all the ridiculous things Luz had done, this one was one of the wildest stories she'd heard yet. How the teen hadn't been killed yet was beyond the Owl Lady? Perhaps some god somewhere _really_ liked her. "Luz, honey, you gotta stop it with the monsters," Eda said tiredly, sliding down in her seat. 

"Oh, come on, it wasn't _that_ dangerous," Luz said, waving it off. "Besides, I think we're friends now." 

"I don't know...still sounds like she's trouble to me," Eda admitted. 

"I hope you get to meet her one day," Luz said. 

As luck would have, Eda _did_ get to meet this mysterious Amity, and the twins. And boy did Eda _hate_ them! Okay, so hate was a strong word. Eda didn't hate them, but she didn't appreciate them interfering with her pupil's studies. The second she caught on to how easy Luz would be distracted by her 'friend,' the second she wanted to go home and find a different source of spells. To make matters worse, the two were like magnets. They distracted _each other_! And that stupid training wand! And then Luz was arguing with her! Aagh, it was going so horribly wrong. And then... _and then_ Luz felt the need to fire the wand off in the direction of the Slitherbeast. All Eda wanted was a nice trip to the Knee with Luz, teach her a new spell, then go home and rest. But _no_ , Luz didn't trust her enough to follow her instructions. She could tell Luz was getting frustrated with her techniques, but the teen didn't have a bile sac. Of course, she was going to have to learn magic different from her little friend. The beast, unsurprisingly, tried to attack Luz but Eda was quicker. Now, Eda was being carried off by the Slitherbeast and, at some point, the twins had gotten captured too. She hadn't planned on watching kids get eaten so she could save herself and get the other two witchlings to safety, but, oh well. 

"That's right, death is here," a skeleton said off to the side. Why did her kid have to find the worst times to prank people? Luz revealed herself and promised she was gonna save them. Eda was going to miss her optimism and misplaced confidence while the teen danced away. 

"You're gonna let the monster eat us?" Edric questioned sadly. 

"Well...oh look, a distraction," Eda said as the beast returned to the cave. It then began to sprinkle seasonings onto the three, causing Eda to sneezed. "Ugh, I hate garlic." 

"Hey, ya big _idiot_ , over here," Luz taunted. The beast turned and began to chase her. 

_Ah, crap_ , Eda thought to herself, _there goes my first student._ She didn't expect for the other girl to pop up and free them from the purple goop. _I take it back, Luz is one smart kid_ Eda refrained from laughing at the cheesiness the young girl's sister had, but it was a bit cute to see sisters supporting one another. Unlike _someone_ Eda knew. Amity melted the goop and Eda immediately left to help her kid. Or, at least, that was her plan until a giant ice column shot out of the ground and threw the beast into the air. Clearly, Luz had learned a new spell and Eda wanted to whoop with joy. Taking a page out of Luz's book, Eda offered to show the kids a cool trick. "Sleep spell," she yelled, casting it on the Slitherbeast with grace. She appreciated the adoring looks on her audience's face. Especially when Luz yelled, "Now, that's my mentor." 

Luz ran over to Eda, hands balled into fists in excitement. "Did you see? I learned my second spell," she announced proudly. 

Eda couldn't contain the smile on her face, pride surging through her. 

"I made the connection." 

"I saw," Eda admitted, placing her hand on Luz's head, "nice job, kiddo." She rubbed the teen's head from side to side. Eda was relieved and glad that nobody got hurt, especially Luz. As impatient as she was, Luz was just trying her best and had good intentions. Eda watched with amusement as the twins copied her sentiment with Amity. Not quite understanding the depth of Eda's bond with Luz, it just seemed like sarcasm to poor Amity. Said witch left the company of her siblings and came over to Eda and Luz. Oo, maybe she'd see what Luz liked about her so much. 

"So," Amity began, "it looks like we'll be in the same class." 

"Azura book club?" Luz questioned, hope permeating the chilly air. "Azura book club!" 

_How disgusting, they're flirting_ , Eda noted. Amity blushed at the thought and Luz grinned only wider. It was funny that Amity thought she was going to be able to keep such a secret with her trickster twin siblings around. It reminded Eda of when she and Lily used to mess with each other all the time. But, with such a sensitive nose, Eda sneezed at the flowery scent of a crush blossoming between the two girls. Not wanting to make it awkward for the two, Eda blamed 'their adorable banter' instead. "Let's go home," she whined. She'd had enough of the cold and annoying teens that weren't her own. 

Luz was eager to perform her new spell, so Eda let that means of transportation. She'd catch them when they got closer to the ground. As they walked the short path home, Eda challenged Luz to try and make smaller columns in her hand. She did surprisingly well for someone who had _just_ acquired a new spell. Eda approached the door to find Hooty and King having some odd bonding moment with fluff and stuffed animal parts that were strewn everywhere. 

"Ahem," Eda started. "What the _heck_ did you two get into?" She was more than a little pissed off at the mess in her home. Their excuse was feeble and Eda was too tired to care. "Whatever. Great job today, kid. Now, go get under some warm blankets to offset the chill." The teen, also tired, left without any more convincing. "Clean this mess up," she ordered the two miscreants. She went up to her room and changed. Despite the trip being a bit rocky in the middle, Luz acquired a new spell and more trust in Eda's techniques. It was quite the stepping stone for them. And, she got to meet the mysterious Amity who was more of a softie than a bully. Based on the potential of the witch, Eda didn't mind the thought of running into her again. 

Unfortunately, every time Luz and Amity met up, bad things followed suit. Eda missed seeing Luz off to school in the morning but had received a letter asking her to chaperone the Grom Fight. The older witch couldn't wait to tell Luz all about the fight and even watch it with her. It took her all day to find a suit to throw together and some of the afternoon to have King make adjustments. She heard the front door open but was too busy scolding King for poking her to call Luz to her room. The kid must've been a mind reader because she came to Eda's room without any prompt and sat down at her nest. 

"Hey, sweet duds, Owl Lady," the teen remarked. "What's the haps?" 

" _I'm_ chaperoning Grom tonight," Eda informed with a flip of her hair. "So, I have to look sharp tonight." 

"And Gus asked me to co-EMC the fight," King added with a poster in hand. "We're gonna turn this blood bath into a _fun_ bath." 

"Oo, have they announced the _victim_ ~ yet?" Eda noticed Luz immediately get upset at the mention of the Grom sacrifice. 

"Yeah, it's Amity. She's kinda freaking out though. I wish I could, like, take her place or something," Luz replied. She looked to be seriously considering the notion too. 

Eda and King began to laugh. _She has to be joking, right?_ Eda thought to herself. Luz didn't laugh with them. "Oh, listen kid, that's a noble sentiment but Grom is a little bit above your paygrade," Eda told the teen none too kindly. "You're a human. You're...fragile," she added. 

"Hey," Luz cried. "I've been lots of new spells. I could _totally_ handle it." 

_That's cute_ , Eda thought. "There's a horrifying spider in your hair," the mentor informed. 

"Nope, I'm not as fragile as you think, Eda. And I can't be so easily fooled either." Luz left, the horrifying spider still in her hair. Hopefully, it wouldn't bite her. Eda sold her last spider-bite potion the day before. 

Eda was shocked to hear King defend Luz. He'd laughed at her too, why was _she_ taking all the blame? They were both in the guilty party and Luz was doing that thing where she was being stubbornly misguided again. "Facing Grom means facing your worst fear, King, and I don't think Luz knows what that means yet." Her first Grom had been a disaster. A friend of hers had been tasked with the duty and didn't make it. She never really got over the trauma, but a lot of school bullies were disposed of this way. Usually, Grom fought the best students, who also happened to be uppity jerks. But Luz? Luz had seen Eda in her cursed form and even suffered from the occasional nightmare. If that thing showed up as her greatest fear, Eda wouldn't be able to look at her student in the eye. She'd rather not know and see Luz's friend get beat up than to watch Luz have to face a version of her in the arena. 

Ugh, she needed to pull herself together. "Do you think I could pull off red eyeshadow?" She asked King. 

Ever the supportive friend, he responded with the appropriate answer. "Girl, you could pull off anything. Up top," he said, high-fiving the witch. "We're style geniuses." She didn't hear from Luz for a while and spent the rest of her time working on her outfit. She did, however, hear that Amity was in her house and that the witch was beating up Hooty. Knowing the two of them, it was probably Hooty's fault anyways. She ignored the fight and looked around for any ties or bows she might have. She had just found a yellow bowtie that made her consider self-marriage when she heard Luz cry out 'no' outside. It didn't sound too urgent, but she didn't usually yell in such a manner, so Eda went outside to check on the troublesome child. 

Eda was _not_ prepared to see a 20 foot tall version of herself. Once again, self-marriage was on the table. "Is that supposed to be me?" She questioned the twins. "Dang! I look _great_ ~," she couldn't help but add. _But why is there a giant me?_ , she thought to herself. "Wait a sec! You're training to be Grom Queen." This certainly stung a bit. 

"So what if I am?" Her pupil challenged, falling to the ground. 

"You think _training_ will help against Grom?" She crossed her arms. "Luz, you _always_ go overboard and I end up bailing you out. You-What's the _fun_ in watching a kid getting eaten by a monster if it's _my_ kid?" She'd let Luz take on literally _any_ other monster but Grom. She really didn't want Grom to get ahold of her and unleash the cursed form of herself on the students of Hexside. 

Luz never backed down though and only held her ground more firmly. "Well, maybe you'll have fun watching me _defeat_ Grom!" And, to add a little flourish to her statement, she chopped an illusion out of existence. 

The older witch hadn't considered the fact that Luz might win this battle, but only because she was aware of Luz's limits. Eda wanted to throttle Amity for getting her kid mixed up with Grom of all monsters. Luz was strong, Eda had no doubt, but she wasn't ready to handle such a creature on her own. Amity didn't help her case with Eda by stating her doubt in Luz either. Despite the fact that Luz had deliberately ignored Eda and put herself in harm's way for another cowardly teen, she still told Luz she would help her with her Grom outfit. The kid certainly had her own taste, but King had fun sewing the tutu to the tux Luz had found. 

"What about my hair?" The teen stressed into the mirror. 

King looked between mentor and student before licking his paw and combing back the girl's hair. Eda almost choked when she realized what he'd done. "Go beat Grom to a pulp and claim your title," he encouraged. Luz nodded before running to find Amity and show her her outfit. 

"Smooth," she told King. " _Very_ smooth. 

"What? You both are kind of wearing suits and, well, it suits her. Don't tell me you're not happy to see her matching your hair _just_ a little bit?" 

"I doubt she even noticed." 

"Maybe, but it'll give her some confidence," King added. 

They entered the indoor auditorium/gym. Eda immediately found a dark corner to worry in. She wished that time would stop so Grom would stay docile longer. Eda wouldn't hesitate to jump into the pit with Luz if the girl called for her. She wouldn't hold it against her for too long either. She glanced at her watch again. How had 15 minutes passed already!? Oh, she was starting to feel nauseous and jittery. 

"Why so twitchy, witchy?" King asked innocently, or maybe he was mocking her. "I'm trying to remember if I've ever seen you this worried before." 

Didn't King understand the danger Luz put herself in? "Well, of course, I'm worried. I'm gonna have to save Luz from a nightmare monster. Ugh, so much for Mama's fun night out." The lights went out and Eda's stomach fell a bit. _It's starting_ , she realized. Trying her best to hide her uneasiness, Eda led King to a spot high enough and close enough to Luz in case she needed help. Luz was announced and Eda could see the nerves and anxiety the teen couldn't suppress. Eda couldn't handle all the dark thoughts running through her head. The biggest one: what if she couldn't get to Luz in time? Well, Grom would be no more for one thing and she would blame Amity and herself for the rest of her miserable existence. 

She watched as Luz picked out a mace and placed an ice glyph on the weapon's head. Eda would've felt more confident about this fight if Luz knew more than three spells. The teen walked down and was immediately faced with the weird cat things. King ran out after his bit failed to keep the crowd happy, but Eda wasn't going to leave Luz unattended. She had weird, simple fears from what Eda was seeing. Maybe she _could_ beat Grom. The witch was especially glad to see Luz had been working on modifying her spells. The ice spear was a lovely touch and put Eda's fears to a low simmer.....And then Grom took an abstract form of Eda and she covered her face. The audience was well aware of who's image was being used by Grom. It probably made her look like a terrible mentor if her own student feared, even just a little. She missed Luz having her true fear extracted, but heard the teen gasp in shock. She looked up to see her portal door opening to reveal a woman in strange plain clothing 

Was this...Luz's _true fear_? Her...mother? It raised a _lot_ of questions about the teen's home life and Eda didn't like the implications. She watched in fear as Luz released her weapon, Eda's stomach dropping with it. Now was not the time for Luz to forget what she was doing and who she was fighting. The creature changed form but kept Luz's mother's voice. Instead of facing the nightmarish woman, Luz turned and ran. _Ah crap_ , Eda noted as Grom chased after the girl. The crowd ran after her, King's voice leading the way. Eda stopped in the doorway, unsure of what to do. Amity appeared by her side, a similar look on her face. Rather than argue with the teen, Eda and Amity shared a silent agreement that they needed to help Luz as quickly as possible. Eda summoned up Owlbert while Amity had an abomination carry her. The two raced out of the school and through the woods towards the sound of Luz's voice. 

Eda spotted Luz at a cliff's edge. The teen was turned away, trying to block out the awful things the monster was telling her. Eda growled, diving towards the beast. "Spicy toss," she called out, alerting Luz so she knew reinforcements had arrived. She landed, spinning into a battle-ready poise with her staff aimed at the monster. "Hands off my human you misshapen excuse for a monster!" 

The monster continued to focus on Luz. The teen turned to her mentor, tears in her eyes. "Eda, you were right. I'm not ready." 

The disappointment in the teen's voice broke Eda's heart. She had been too harsh earlier and it had caused crippling doubt in her usually confident personality. Eda lowered her staff momentarily. "It's okay. I got this one," she informed the teen. Before she could finish her spell, a grunt and body came flying through nearby trees. _Where the hell had Amity been?_ Stunned, Eda watched as the teen stood between the monster and Luz. 

"Stay away from her," the blue-haired witch warned. The monster grabbed her, picking her off the ground. She apologized for failing to fight her own battles before the monster took the form of her greatest fear. 

But...why did the shadowy figure resemble Luz? Eda couldn't figure it out until the creature removed a pink slip of paper. _Ooohhhhhh_. Eda could slap herself for having missed it in the first place. This was a highly capable witch, but with emotions she'd never experienced before, of course, she feared rejection. Though, why she thought Luz would turn her down, Eda couldn't understand. Luz would never turn down anyone in her friend circle. But that wasn't what kept Eda rooted in place. No, she stopped because the two were clearly having a moment and was now _their_ battle. Eda would just get in the way and get someone hurt. The dance was _beautiful_. The display of magic was extravagant and full of power. Their spells evolved with their connection and overpowered the creature. The combination was in complete harmony, turning the most frightening beast into the most breathtaking piece of scenery Eda had ever laid eyes on. She was completely and utterly flabbergasted by their performance that she failed to notice the students had caught up and were behind her the entire time. Her kid, Luz, did that with the help of her friend. Magic like never before. The crowd cheered and crowned the two victors with tiaras. Eda remained speechless. What could she even think of saying to Luz other than 'sorry for doubting you.' 

The crowd returned to the school and partied harder than before. Pictures were taken, but Eda couldn't help but point out to every teacher and parent that that was _her_ student and they had better go congratulate the winners. She pulled Luz aside for a bit and took the time to apologize. "Look, kid, clearly I was wrong. You could totally do it, you just needed a push from a special someone. You certainly managed to hook a good one," she said with a smirk. 

"Whadya mean, Eda?" 

"You know, you and Amity." 

"I don't get it," the teen said with a small frown. Suddenly, she perked up. "Oh, you mean now that we're friends!" 

Eda almost fell over. "What? No. Luz, Amity cares for you." 

"That's great!" 

_Thank the Titan_ , Eda thought. 

"I care for all my friends too," Luz finished. 

Eda looked over at her pupil. "You're kidding, right?" 

Luz just stared at her with a smile. "Why wouldn't I care about my friends? Oh, is it because I only danced with her and I haven't danced with Gus and Willow? I better go give them a turn too so they know how grateful I am for their support." 

She ran off before Eda could stop her. Her brain felt like it was melting in her head. How had her kid defeated multiple monsters with little plans she'd made up but couldn't tell when a girl was crushing on her? Eda even picked up the torn slip and kept it for safekeeping. With their conversation, Eda wondered if showing the note to Luz would even get the message through. "Hey, Amity," Eda called out. 

Hearing her name, she walked over to Eda with a tight smile on her face. She was flustered from taking pictures with Luz and the gang and hadn't regained the ability to speak full sentences yet. "Umm, yEaH," the teen responded, voice cracking. 

"Don't worry, I'm not gonna eat ya. Did you tell Luz you wanted to go to Grom with her?" 

The poor teen choked up but shook her head. 

"Is that not what you said during the fight-dance thing?" 

The teen turned redder than Eda's suit. "She uhh...saw some writing...she offered...dance...just friends." 

"Okay, so I'm not imagining that my kid's a little dense at flirting, got it," Eda said, arms crossed. Amity swallowed thickly. "Don't worry, I won't tell her. She's...I don't know...blind to obvious things." She uncrossed her arms and offered a smile to the anxious witch. "Well, good luck. I'll be cheering you on from the sidelines." 

Closing her eyes, Amity gave a curt nod and stiffly walked away. The dance didn't last much longer and Luz remained as oblivious as a newborn kitten. Eda hoped she'd at least get to see the two attempt to try a relationship before the curse overtook her. She would respect their pacing and not interfere, but Luz was gonna cause her to headbutt a brick wall in frustration. It could be worse, she supposed. Luz could've been a mess like Amity and failed to communicate when in the same room as her crush. _Ah, young love. Suckers!_

Eda gathered up her group and took them home. "Woo! Watch out for _this_ human. Ah, you did good, kid." She wanted to keep the party going, but as soon as they were inside, Luz's demeanor changed completely. 

"Thanks," she said, dropping her crown to the floor, "but I'm gonna go to bed." 

The change in attitude certainly gave Eda whiplash. King took the tiara, claiming himself king and queen. Not wanting to hear his dialogue, Eda went into the living room to sit and think. She wondered if Luz was upset about seeing her mother. It was within reason to think so. She'd been doing fine until the monster chose that form. Was Luz in a bad home? Was that why Eda felt the constant need to protect Luz? Were they kindred spirits in that aspect? In all the time that Eda knew Luz, she had never really talked about her mother or school. She would always skirt around the subject or give short responses much like Eda would with her past. Eda lay back, resting her head on the armrest. Luz was always so happy that Eda forgot she totally abandoned her previous life and home for a chance to fit in and she was only just a child. Did she fail to realize Amity's interest because she never had friends that cared for her before and didn't know what to expect in a crush? 

A curse was Eda's reasoning for abandoning her family and home, but what was Luz's? The girl was fiercely loyal and protective of her friends, so why give up her human family? Eda _really_ didn't like the implications Grom had given her, but Luz was only here for a limited time. One day, she'd have to go back home, where she felt misunderstood and alone. Eda didn't normally tear up, but, she didn't want Luz to leave. The girl was happy here, flourishing under her own creativity and strength. Despite her impulsiveness, she was maturing and becoming an impressive young lady. People _actually_ cared about her here. So why? Why send her back to a place worse than Hexside and the Coven System? Why subject her to that kind of trauma? Sure, she had trauma from the Demon Realm, but only because she liked to endanger her own life without a second thought. But the human world full of fragile beings had already done enough damage that a 14-year-old child left without saying goodbye to _anybody_. 

Her body ached from the stress of the day's events, but her heart throbbed with a deep-seated pain. She'd come to accept the kid as her own family, more important than those that shared her blood. Letting go of Luz would shatter her. Seeing Luz sad or, thankfully it hadn't happened yet, cry already pulled out a fierce instinct within the witch. But her being gone, even for just a little bit where she couldn't visit often, Eda would waste away like sea foam. She wiped away the stray tear that slid towards her ear and closed her eyes. She inhaled deeply, thoughts racing every which way, and exhaled. Breathe in, breathe out. She calmed herself, kept the urge to run to the human world, and question a certain 'mother' at bay. One day, she _would_ speak to the woman and find a way to either fix what was broken or keep Luz for herself. She drifted off to sleep, dreaming of Luz as a powerful witch surpassing Eda in criminal status and strength. She woke briefly to King resting on her, bringing a smile to her sleep-addled mind. She drifted off once more, this time dreaming of hearing Luz calling her 'mom.'

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Eda questioning how Luz can be so dense is my facial cleanser. I can see her eye twitching at Oblivious Luz around Gay Panicking Amity. Sorry, not sorry for the heap of terrible things my brain has thought up at the end. My heart would swell and explode if Luz ever called Eda 'Mom.' I would lay on the floor in a catatonic state for _days_! Anyway, hope I made y'all cry, or at least tear up a bit. Some angst was on the menu for today. Hope it was tasty! [Side note, but Belos is totally the one cursed with mud. When he appears behind Luz, he doesn't have a real body. Calling it now.]


	6. Owl Do Anything For You

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> [Pardon the terrible title pun, I came up with it during my "Birth of Europe" class earlier this week. This chapter took _forever_ to write.] Starts at "Escape of the Palisman," touches on some Lumity in "Understanding Willow" and "Wing it Like Witches," and ends with ~~SADNESS~~...I mean, family bonding. [Hooray, hooray for Sport (TM)] *Coughs awkwardly* Enjoy!

After Luz returned from school, King asked to go to the slayground so he could find new subjects to rule. It had been a while since Eda had pandered to him, so the three went to Bonesborough for the remainder of the day. It was a nice evening with hardly any members of the Emperor's Coven in the immediate area. The small demon surveyed the area before scuttling off towards the slide. Eda and Luz found a shaded bench to rest on while King stood at the base of the red slope. Beside her, Luz was having a panic attack worrying about King playing with others. Eda watched with amusement, finding the moment endearing. The teen stated that her 'parental instincts' were 'freaking out.' Eda consoled her with ease, telling the teen to just watch for herself. If only Luz knew how often Eda stressed herself out every time the teen left her sight. It was nice, though, to know that the human cared about King so much. The witch watched as the small demon struggled up the slide before declaring himself victorious. 

A small child the same height as King told the demon something before pushing him back down the slide. King tumbled down, landing with a thud. With a cry, King called out for Eda as he ran to where she was seated. The witch looked down to him as he _demanded_ she destroy the usurper for taking his throne. Eda was _not_ about to blow up some harmless kid. If it had been a teen, then maybe the older witch would have hit them with a stink bomb or something foul to ruin their day. "Yeah, I'm not using Owlbert to blow up a five-year-old," Eda informed the demon. She released Owlbert from his place on her staff, setting him in her lap. "He's got better things to do, like _this_." She scratched his favorite spot under his wing, causing the owl to coo with delight. Gosh, she loved the little guy. 

"Aww, what a _sweetie_ ," Luz commented. "How did you get him?" 

" _Get_? I _made_ Owlbert from the branch of an ancient tree." He wasn't some silly possession you picked out like teeth. Eda was obviously slacking in her magical lessons. She could still remember staying up for three days as she painstakingly etched intricate little details for each feather. Owlbert would always be more than just some staff. He knew more about her than anybody else dead or alive. "Oh, he's my palisman and we're bonded for life. _I'd annihilate anyone who'd hurt him!_ " 

Seeing that he was being ignored, the demon decided he didn't want Eda's help anyway, claiming revenge would taste sweeter if extracted by his hands. The 'usurper' appeared behind King before shoving him to the ground once more. Eda felt a grin grow as King began to shake with rage. "Oh, man. Here we go! King's Squeak of Rage." This would make the journey more than worth it. She loved that adorable little _battle_ cry. The witch wasn't sure why the little demon considered himself intimidating but she didn't want him to stop either. She took immense satisfaction watching the cute little demon attempt to be scary. Sure enough, a high-pitched squeal filled the air as King chased after his attacker. Eda gave a hearty laugh, snorting and clutching her sides. She wiped away a tear, saying, "He's like a little teakettle." 

Luz leaned forward, looking over at the happy woman. "Hey, what's that?" Luz asked, pointing to Owlbert's right foot. 

The witch looked to where the teen was pointing. "That's his interlock," Eda responded, grabbing her staff to show the teen, "so that he only fits onto _my_ staff. Every palisman has one." 

A shadow fell over the Eda while her back was turned. Eda turned to see what had cast such a large blanket of darkness. She wasn't expecting to find an empty setting. Were they experiencing a random eclipse? If so, where had her kid gone? "Luz?" She called out with worry. _Where did everybody go?_ She released her staff, standing up to look around more. The bench dissipated from view along with the staff. "Hello?" She could faintly hear Luz calling for her, but why did she sound so far away? She spun around in the direction of the teen's voice. She was scared and didn't know what was happening. "Luz!" The witch covered her ears, her own voice ringing loudly within them. She reopened her eyes to find Luz peering over her, the teen urging her to wake up. How had she ended up lying down? Had she passed out? No, that couldn't be it. This felt different and familiar at the same time. The witch couldn't quite put her finger on it. Something was _very_ wrong. The teen pulled her into a sitting position, a look of worry overtaking her face. 

"Are you alright?" Luz asked her, trying to remain calm for the both of them. At least she looked calm, but Eda could smell the fear and worry. 

The older woman shivered violently, her limbs felt both rigid and tingly. "Wha...?" It was like her mind was in slow motion and couldn't catch up with reality. _Pull yourself together_ , the witch told herself. That seemed to do the trick but she realized they couldn't stay here any longer. "Oh no," she voiced, "the curse. We have to get home. _Now_!" She didn't wait for the teen, knowing Luz would follow her without being told to. She heard the girl calling for King to join them. She blocked the noise out, focusing on keeping the curse at bay. This was very, very bad. Everything had happened so quickly and she didn't have any elixir on her in case she changed in public. Normally, Eda felt like fainting with pain stinging her nerves before the transformation took place. But this time, it happened so smoothly she hadn't realized until it was too late. She didn't want to scare Luz again, the teen simply didn't need any more trauma because of her. But...if she changed anyway, Luz _would_ have to stop her. 

By the time they made it home, Eda was ready for a long, _long_ nap. She hated when the curse would zap her of any energy she found. She missed being able to race other witches on her staff and fight monsters to steal their junk. Well, okay, she could still do that, but it took a little more work on her end. It didn't help that the curse was turning her into a walking corpse and her limbs would pop off with ease. It helped when she was in a pinch but...it was hard to keep a date when that happened at dinner. She tossed her staff against the sofa and crashed face-first into the cushions. Luz offered to bring her elixir from upstairs, but Eda told her not to worry about it. "I'll get it myself in a bit," she told the girl. Eda just needed to catch her breath and stop the room from spinning a bit.

"Do you need me to stay home and take care of you?" The teen asked before gasping. "I could put King in a little _doctor's_ outfit~!" 

Eda glanced over to the demon that was currently doodling. He 'meh'ed in confusion at Luz's suggestion. "No one wants to see that," she said, trying to motivate herself to her nest. 

"I do," Luz admitted a tad bit creepily. 

Sometimes, the kid would go a little overboard with her odd suggestions, but her expression did ease Eda's stress. "Look, I know how to take care of myself," the witch said, changing the subject. She moved a little so that she could see the teen at the end of the couch. "I've had this curse longer than you've been alive." Crap, she'd piqued the teen's interest. 

"So, how'd you get it?" Luz asked. 

Ugh, Eda didn't wanna bring up all the mess that came with her curse. She dropped her face back onto the couch cushion. "I _d'know_." 

"You don't _know_!?" 

"Somebody gave it to me, I don't know who, and I don't care because I'm _fine_ , alright?" Eda stressed, rising from her laying position. If she had remembered who it was, she would've already killed them for cursing her as a kid. _I mean, the audacity of that person_ , Eda told herself. "Anyway, don't you have plans with Tweedledum and Twirpledee?" She looked over at Owlbert who stopped perching and brought the witch's staff to her. 

"Well," Luz said, "Willow, Gus, and I _are_ going to the grudgby game between Hexside and Glandus High." 

_Grudgby? Boy, did that take her back to the good ol' days of her youth_ "Since when are _you_ into sports?" Eda asked, returning Owlbert to staff-mode. Luz was suddenly in her personal space, head almost crashing into the older witch's. 

"Since I found a little something called 'Hexside _Pride_ '!" Luz answered with, well, pride...and joy. 

The energy this kid used up just talking made Eda feel sluggish once more. The look on Luz's face kept Eda locked in the same position as the teen began to get more animated. If her head got knocked to the floor, it was going to have to stay there until Luz calmed down. 

"Ugh, to think _Glandus_ , whoever they are, would dare face us," the teen declared. She looked ready to get into a fight. And, knowing her streak with trouble, Eda didn't put it past her to do just that. Shifting tones, Luz relaxed, saying, "But, if you need me to stay..." 

That was the last thing Eda asked from _anybody_. "Gross; sympathy," she said with distaste. "Go," the witch ordered, "go have fun at Sport." 

Luz stretched to full height with joy. "Hooray! Hooray for Sport!" The young girl dropped a kiss to King's forehead with a warning about staying up before running off to find her friends. 

If it weren't for the curse, Eda might have seen the witchling off at Hexside. As usual, the damn thing had poor timing and ruined yet another monumental moment for Eda. If Luz ever decided to play for the school, Eda would be there for _every_ game, curse or no curse. She rose from the sofa and told King she was going to bed. He mostly ignored but did mumble a 'good night' to his friend. It was a good thing Luz was out. Eda didn't want the kid to see her transform again, should it happen. She'd already worried her at the park, Luz didn't need another scare. Eda found a bottle of elixir and drank from it until it was empty. Laying back in her nest, she imagined what it would be like to watch the first human play grudgby. Maybe she should tell Luz about the time she won an entire game by herself the one time Lilith was too sick to play. Or that one time a kid got eaten by the field? Or maybe... 

"Wait a minute..." Wasn't she just in her room? "Ugh," she said, a door appearing before her. But it was...different? Was that King she just heard calling her name or was she imagining things? The door didn't appear to be moving, so maybe she wasn't fully turned and just sleeping. She could tell that someone was talking to her, but she couldn't make out the words. The tiniest sliver of light began to appear at the edge of the door. So it _was_ moving, just really, really slow now. But was she transformed? That was all Eda wanted to know. Was she tearing up the place and King was trying to get through to her? She really couldn't tell and the darkness felt heavy. "This stinks," she told herself aloud. It was better to hear her own voice then listen to the whispering. 

It felt like eons had passed before she heard it. By this time, the figure was completely shown and Eda was just about to attack it when a certain squeal filled her ears. It was like a trigger for her, she immediately began to laugh. "So tiny; so angry!" Light briefly blinded her before a flash of darkness. Shaking the curse off like one would an opponent, Eda felt herself fall before landing with a thud on something wooden. "Ah," she exclaimed, holding two fingers to her temple. Her whole dang body hurt worse this time. And where the hell _was_ she? 

"Eda, you're back," King cried happily, running to her. 

She hugged King, glad he hadn't been hurt. Her left eye was so sensitive to the light, she was forced to keep it closed for a few seconds. "What happened?" She asked the demon. He lied to her, which was slightly weird for him. Clearly, he'd done something while she was the beast and wasn't going to tell her. "Uh-huh, I'll deal with you later, but for now, you wanna bounce?" King agreed and Eda wasted no time in blasting out of what appeared to an Animal Control carriage. _Huh, that's new._ They walked away, ignoring the driver until Eda spotted the Slayground not far from where they'd escaped. She had an idea what _exactly_ King was hiding now. "King, did you use me to scare that kid?" 

"...maybe." 

" _King_ , that's extremely dangerous." 

"I know, but..." 

"But what?" 

"I'm sorry. You didn't hear me in the carriage just now, but I apologized for using you because I felt weak." 

Eda sighed. "Did you get what you wanted?" King shook his head. "Just promise to never do it again and I'll forget about it." She couldn't stay mad at him no matter how much she wanted to be. 

"Promise." 

"Good. Let's get home before Luz does." Eda carried King all the way home despite her arms hurting like hell. She set him down to open the front door and was greeted with Luz and Owlbert sitting on the couch. Her palisman had a band-aid on his head, indicating he'd been injured while she was out. "Owlbert, why are you off the staff?" She questioned, ready to faceplant with the floor. She straightened up and walked into the house a couple of more steps. He flew over to her, telling her some tale of Luz and getting icecream. "Luz took you to get ice cream. Aw, that's...a _terrible_ lie!" Why was everyone lying to her today? Luz looked guilty but Eda wasn't feeling up to anything for the rest of the day. She really needed to pass out for several hours and regain her strength. "Well, lucky for you both, I don't care right now. I'm going to take a nap." 

Letting Owlbert stay with Luz, Eda returned to her room. She closed the door, looking for damage. She had expected a mess like last time, but all that was ruined was a chair she kept in the room. She stopped near her nest, placing a hand on her abdomen. There was an uneasiness in her stomach that she couldn't quite get rid of.

She began to cough, an object dislodging from her throat and landing in her open hand. She looked at the empty elixir bottle in horror. "The elixir...it isn't working anymore." Another rumble of her stomach, more coughing. This time, she found part of a swing set seat in her hand. "When did I eat a swing set?" Must've been during her short reign of terror over the small kid's King was angry with. As if it wasn't already bad enough with the Emperor's Coven, now she was in the final stages of her curse taking over. Eda hoped with all her might that she wouldn't completely turn until Luz had gone back to the Human Realm. 

But what about King? And Hooty? Who would look after them? Worse still, what if she did change before Luz could go home? What could she possibly tell the teen to keep from breaking her heart? King told her she hadn't completely changed this time, so there was that. Maybe they could find a way to control her in the beast form so she could at least protect them should something happen. Tomorrow, she'd work on a will of sorts. Regardless of what happened, Hooty could protect the others, Luz would, no _should_ go home where it was safe, and King would have to feed Hooty. 

It sucked that she was barely 30 and the concept of a fate worse than death was looming over her head. Overall their heads, really. She'd have to start limiting her magic and drinking more elixir to keep from changing. Eda would find a way to spend more time with her family so she'd at least have memories to look back on in her cursed state of mind. The older witch lay down, curling in on herself. Before she could fall asleep, she heard her bedroom door open. 

"Hey Eda," Luz whispered from the doorway, "you awake?" 

"Yeah. What's up, kid?" 

"I was just bringing Owlbert back. I'm gonna go to bed soon. Do you need anything else?" 

"Nah, I think I'm good. Night, Luz." 

"Goodnight Eda, sweet dreams," Luz responded. The door closed and Owlbert flew over to Eda. 

"Heya, Owlbert," the witch greeted. "Could you..." 

The palisman hooted a yes, resting in the woman's arms. 

Eda sighed in contentment. The two quickly fell asleep. 

The curse remained controlled despite Luz's ability to cause trouble everywhere she went. A brief scrape with Tibbles allowed the witch to add some more cash to her loot pile. It seems she adopted Luz's two friends and King had established a sense of camaraderie with the other teens. She was just glad an audience member pointed out the kids before they got eaten. That had almost been a mess, but she hoped that was the last she ever saw of the pig demon. 

She was resting in her home and watching her crystal ball when she heard Luz kick the door open downstairs. _It's too early for her to be home, something must have happened_ , the witch thought to herself. Luz came running up the stairs and entered the room without knocking. "What happened this time?" The witch asked. 

"Eda, I need your help. I was in class with Willow and we learned how to pull out memories. Amity set them on fire by accident and know Willow's...I think she's forgotten us forever!" 

Why couldn't Luz cause normal trouble like Eda had in her younger days? Still, she had to hand it to her, Eda was expecting severed limbs this time. At least this could be fixed, but it was still extremely dangerous to damage memories. "Okay, give me a minute to freshen up. I'll be downstairs in a sec." 

Luz thanked Eda before rushing back to her friend. Eda looked through a book to see if she still remembered how to put people in someone's mind without accidentally getting them stuck there. It was a good thing she had or she would have forgotten to get a summoning bell. Heading downstairs to join Luz, she noticed that it was more than two people. Luz had Amity, Gus, and Willow with her. The latter appeared to have a more serious issue than a few destroyed memories. Luz happened to be talking to Amity when she walked in front of the two. 

"So, you set Willow's memories on fire and erased everything," Eda interrupted. Now was not a time for some cutesy flirting, a witch's life was hanging in the balance, not of death, but of changing forever. Considering she knew Willow better, Eda was not thrilled to learn the young witch had been hurt to this extent. She would definitely help the young girl while making sure the one responsible understood the gravity of the situation. "Even _minor_ damage can have _huge_ affects." To further prove her point, Willow couldn't even remember how to sit properly. "Yup, her brain's burned up _real_ good. Damage like that could change everything about a person. Willow may _never_ be the same." Willow picked up King with the intent on peeling him, prompting Eda to quickly put the teen to sleep before someone got hurt. King decided to join the sleeping teen, much to Eda's dismay. 

"Is there _anything_ we can do?" The girl was clearly worried for her friend, as she should be. Meanwhile, Amity hadn't spoken a word since Eda had appeared. Good, it meant Eda was making her feel like crap and thinking about what she'd done. Guilt, it was one hell of a weapon that Eda had mastered the moment she started going gray. 

"There is one way, but it's terribly dangerous and partially illegal. So, you're in the right place!" Eda was a little excited that she got to play with this kind of magic again, she just wished it was under better circumstances. "I'll send you into her mind to fix the damage." 

As always, Luz was excited, but only because she'd dreamed of this back in the human world. Eda confused it for a thirst of magical knowledge, not a trip of a lifetime. "Be still my _fantasy-lovin'_ heart. I have _always_ wanted to do this! Thank you, Boiling Isles." 

"It won't be easy," Eda informed seriously, "It's a _lot_ to fix in there because it's a _mess_. Yep, whoever did this to Willow showed _unbelievable_ disregard for her safety. _Downright despicable!_." Eda appreciated the fact that Amity at least felt guilt towards her actions, but the witch wanted to make sure Amity would learn to deal with issues in a better way. "Oh right, it was _you_ ," she added. Okay, so maybe Eda was a _bit_ more upset about the sweet flower girl getting her because of some petty drama rather than wanting to be a good adult who punished naughty children. Turning back to the task at hand, Eda looked over at her apprentice. "Anyway, Luz, who's going inside with you?" This part oughta be fun for her pupil. It wasn't every day that they had a hands-on lesson. 

Hooty offered but was quickly shot down, as always. "Two max," Eda informed. She would go in, but then who would pull them out. Nope, she'd stay behind and make sure Willow didn't wander off and that Luz and her companion returned safely. In the end, Amity was guilt-tripped by Luz into joining her on her expedition. Eda was glad Luz didn't defend the teen and try to do it herself. She did not miss how easily Amity gave in to Luz's goading. With each meeting, the two fell harder and harder for each other. If Amity could own up to her mistake and fix things, Eda would allow the girl to visit whenever she wanted. "Alright, bold choice; taking the girl who caused the _mess_." Eda summoned up the bell the two would need and floated it over to Luz. "When you're done, ring that and I'll cast you back out. Oh," she remembered to add, "and keep an eye out for 'Inner Willow.' She's the gatekeeper of emotions and memory. She might help you." 

Eda sent the two in before Gus wrangled her into his dumb interview project. She had liked how intellectual the boy was before he tenaciously began to question her and King. The witch and demon competed with a lot of joy at possibly being interviewed, but after being snubbed by him for Hooty, well...she'd trade him for Amity. A long time had passed before Eda finally heard the bells and remembered why Gus, Willow, and Amity were even there in the first place. "Oh right, I put people in there," she commented as she retrieved the two teens. Hopefully, this was the first time they ringed her, but she didn't really care. Gus had zapped more energy from her than the curse did. After giving a brief 'he's dead to me' response, Eda went to bed. She didn't even bother to change. She'd ask about Willow and Amity later when she had the energy to care about teenage antics. 

After the events of Willow almost getting a soft reset and Grom, Eda definitely saw a shift Amity's personality. At least, that's what she gleaned from listening to Luz. _Shit, I missed Luz's first, and possibly last, grudgby game. Fuckin' Lilith_ , the witch kept to herself. She had to pat herself on the back for keeping her cursing in check when King and Luz were around. Hooty on the other hand, he'd heard every curse Eda ever knew. The bits that got her were Amity's reaction to Luz and grudgby. The poor thing had fallen head over heels for Eda's human apprentice. The day was made even better when the pining teen opened her front door to join the small victory party that was being thrown. Luz had given her a much smaller run down of the game, but Eda got the gist. This Boscha sounded way worse than Amity had in the beginning, possibly because Luz wasn't interested in pleasing the pink-haired teen. 

A small blush graced Amity's cheeks as Hooty dropped her onto the sofa between Luz and Willow. Eda couldn't help but grin. This Amity liked to bark, but she had no bite to her. Like everyone Luz knew, they'd found it impossible not to want to please the little ray of sunshine. Amity could only choke out words when Luz accidentally brushed up against her. Oh yes, this was far more entertaining than sports. Shifting her glance to Willow, Eda noticed that she seemed a little annoyed. It only happened when Luz and Amity were interacting. Eda began to worry that Willow might be jealous of the relationship and didn't want a rift to form between any of them. 

"Hey, Bloomy, can you help me in the kitchen with something real quick? I've got a plant that's dying," Eda lied. 

Willow perked up. "Um...my name's Willow." 

"I know," Eda informed the young witchling. She led Willow into the kitchen and away from prying eyes. 

"Where's the plant?" 

"Oh, there's no plant. I just wanted to ask if you were okay with Luz and Amity flirting with one another." 

"Oh, you noticed too?" 

"Kid, I'm old but not blind. A newborn baby would barf at that sickening display." 

"I'm not upset about them flirting. Actually, I'm upset that Luz doesn't realize that Amity's flirting. It hurts to watch them sometimes. Like...come on Amity, just tell her how you feel already!" 

Eda laughed, loud and unwavering followed by several snorts. She was afraid her head was going to pop off with how fast she threw it back to fill the room with sounds of amusement. "Kid...you've got no idea...how true...that...is," she said between snorts. The witch wiped tears from her eyes, struggling to catch her breath. "Ah," she sighed, "I'm glad you're more insightful than I thought. No offense. It's just...I tried to get the two together after the battle with Grom and Luz completely misunderstood me." 

"She did it then too?" Willow questioned with a groan. "She's not oblivious in other situations, so what the heck!?" 

"You gotta remember, they didn't exactly start off on the right foot. Luz probably doesn't know what that kind of feeling looks like on her former rival." 

"That's true," Willow agreed. 

"Hey, Luz," the two females heard Gus say, "what are your friends like back in the Human realm?" Willow and Eda re-entered the living room. This was a topic Eda had always been curious about. 

"Oh," the teen started softly, cheeks pink, "I...didn't really _have_ friends back at my old school." 

"Why not?" Amity questioned, voice rising slightly. In fact, everyone but Luz seemed slightly angry at the response. 

"I was just...a bit, y'know, weird to them. It's why my mom was sending me to summer camp," Luz informed, not looking up from her teacup. Eda felt rage flare up within her, darkening her vision. 

"Well... _who needs 'em?_ " Gus said loudly, causing Luz to jerk her head up in shock. 

"Yeah, you're the bravest, most fierce person I know besides Eda," King added. 

"And you're the...cu-coolest person ever," Amity said with a deeper blush. "And brave...and kind and..." 

"It's their loss," Willow said beside Eda. The girl walked over and hugged the human. The other's joined, except for Amity who was torn between comforting Luz but not wanting to seem odd for invading the girl's personal space with others around. Luz was stunned, but only momentarily. She returned the hug with a sad smile. 

"Listen up kid," Eda said with a voice she could only describe as emotional, but which one, she wasn't sure, "those...pesky humans can't hold a candle to you and you had better not let them talk down on you. You're an amazing young woman whom I could not be more proud of. If others can't see that, well, send 'em my way and I'll show them things to change their minds." She wanted to touch on the subject of Luz's mother but didn't want to upset the teen or overstep any boundaries. Luz just stared at her from the center of her friends. She looked vulnerable like she'd fall apart if anyone moved away from her at that very moment. "Luz, I want you to know something," Eda continued, voice under better control. She held eye contact with the girl. "This will always be your home. These people here," she said, gesturing to everyone in the room, "will always be there for you when you need them. _I_ will always be there when you need me. I don't care what happens or if you made a mistake, you can call me and I'll fix it and bring you home. If...if you find that the humans never accept you for your uniqueness, just know that we always will. You are safe here and you are loved here." 

Luz politely pushed her friends away, crashing into Eda in a desperate hug. The witch hadn't intended to make her cry but she couldn't ignore the fact that Luz needed to hear those words. She needed to know that Eda would do anything for her because _that's_ how much she meant to her. Eda pulled her tighter to her, letting the teen rid herself of all the pain she must have bottled up over the years. The second she was cured and able to, Eda was going to torch the homes of all the people who had wronged her kid. Luz shifted so she could look up at Eda, eyes red and nose running. 

"Thanks Eda. You're the best," the teen said with a raw throat. She sniffled, her bottom lip still wobbling slightly. 

Eda ruffled Luz's hair, eliciting a smile from the girl. "I mean it. Give me names and they'll never say another bad thing again." 

"Thanks, but that would just make us worse than them," Luz informed. She turned to face the other. "And thanks to you guys too. It really means a lot to me to know that we're friends and that I have your support." 

"Of course, Luz," Willow spoke up with a bright smile. 

Luz's friends stayed a little longer after that. They did their best to cheer her up, and they did, but that didn't mean it would immediately erase the pain. The sun began to set and the kids left one by one until it was just the Owl House inhabitants. Luz stayed on the sofa, staring off into space. 

"Snail for your thoughts?" Eda bargained. She set a mug of brew down to help the saddened teen. Eda had one for herself too, it just had an extra ingredient...her daily elixir. Luz accepted the cup sluggishly, still lost in her own world. Eda joined her on the couch, sitting close to her but still respecting her personal space. 

"They're not worth that much," the teen said before blowing on the steaming liquid. 

"They are to me," Eda responded softly. "But I get it if you don't wanna share. I'm just gonna sit here for a while and read this book about fire spells." 

"Eda," Luz softly scolded, "you can't burn down anyone's home. Things are a _lot_ harder to come by in the Human Realm." 

"How about I give them nightmares instead?" 

"You can't do that either." 

"Why not?" 

"Because my last project probably already did that for you." 

"Oh," Eda said, disappointed and intrigued. "Well, I'm still gonna sit here and read." 

"Okay." 

The two sat in silence as Luz drank her tea (that's what she liked to tell herself) while Eda flipped through the pages of an old book. Eda finished her brew before Luz and fully immersed herself in the text on the yellowed-pages. She felt something softly lean against her left arm before she heard a snore. Looking over, Eda found Luz had fallen asleep, her mug sitting on the side table. Eda shifted her arm so that she had it wrapped around Luz, summoning up a warm blanket for the two. At one point, Luz shifted so her head was resting in Eda's lap. The older witch smoothed out the girl's hair as she finished reading up on the human realm and their form of magic. She closed the book once she realized she was squinting and let out a yawn. Not wanting to wake the girl, Eda closed her eyes and leaned her head back. She draped her arm across Luz's covered form and drifted off with thoughts of murder and revenge. King found the two fast asleep on the couch and decided to mirror Luz's position. Tunneling his way under the covers and resting his head on the open space on Eda's lap, he curled up with a yawn. Eda lifted her head at all the movement, smiled, and rested her free hand on King adjusting the covers around him and Luz. Satisfied that they were both comfortable, Eda resumed her previous position and slept peacefully once more.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [Human magic=weapons and other dangerous machines. Basically, Eda's preparing to wage war on the humans that hurt Luz. This section might get rewritten as a crack/shitpost chapter] I won't post another chapter until this weekend. I've got a lot of writing assignments thanks to my 4 writing-intensive classes. I'll write a chapter either for both of the newest episodes separately or in one long post. After that, it'll be more original/suggested prompt oriented chapters (but I might put them in a new story rather than new chapters here. This is more of an analytical piece with some of my headcanons thrown in.). If the new episode comes out before the next chapter, good luck and I'll see you on the other side! Hope you all are enjoying these so far.


	7. Us Weirdos Have to Stick Together

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is over the emotional two-parter finale that Disney shouldn't have split up, but we got Grom early so...yeah, it's a thing. It's super long, so there might be more mistakes than usual. Enjoy!

Since her grudgby match with Lilith, the curse was becoming harder and harder to keep under control. Eda had woken up one night to her gem feeling hot. When she gave it a good look in the mirror, she was horrified to find that it was darkening. "This is happening a lot sooner than I'd thought," she whispered to herself. Pretty soon, nothing was going to be able to bring her back and Eda didn't know how to feel about that. She'd been preparing ever since the slayground incident. She'd made a speech for everyone, written a letter for Lilith, and prepared for King to send Luz home. But even with all that, Eda would never be prepared to say goodbye to this little family of hers. She had one last option if she wanted to stave off the curse for just a little bit longer, but she would have to get the rest of the ingredients and limit her magic. With Lilith's threat of increasing her capture attempts and bringing more guards, Eda wouldn't be able to personally defend herself anymore. 

Making a plan of action, Eda set off for a whole day to gather everything she would need for a witch's cloak and to stock up on more elixir. She returned after everyone had gone to bed and set her ingredients together. In the morning, she would begin making the cape and not leave the house until she either finished turning or Hooty was defeated and she was captured. Not long after she woke up, she began to infuse the materials with charms and heard King and Luz get up for the day. The first round of the Emperor's Coven attacked while Eda watched from inside. She'd have to find a way to thank Hooty later. 

"Oh, magic 'sghetti," Eda heard her pupil say from behind her. 

"Hey," Eda warned, smacking the child's hand away with a wooden spoon. "That _'sghetti_ is witch's wool." She really shouldn't leave her back turned on magical items while Luz was home. "It repels powerful spells. Every witch worth their salt has a cloak made from this stuff." 

"I'm worth salt," Luz added, eyes glimmering at the prospect of having her own cloak. "I want cloak," she informed, grabbing at the cauldron. 

"Easy, kid," Eda said, pulling the cauldron back towards her. The teen had gotten stronger since she first arrived. Before, she wouldn't have been able to pull the heavy pot across the ground. "With the Emperor's goons at my doorstep, _I_ need this for protection," Eda explained. It wouldn't do to get captured by Lilith. "They have _really_ stepped up their attacks lately," the witch said to herself. 

"I think I finally understand why the Emperor wants you so badly," Luz said. 

_How does she know?_ Eda wondered. 

"He's got the _hots_ for you , doesn't he?" 

_Ah, there it is,_ Eda noted with amusement. She gave Luz her characteristic finger guns before telling the teen the truth. "Uh, but no. Emperor Belos want to control _all_ wild magic through his coven system. He ordered my capture _years_ ago because I refused to fall in line," she said with a hint of rage. It was hard to talk about the fool in charge without her blood boiling just a little. Eda had often wondered what would happen to Luz if Belos found out she was learning wild magic too.

"And he won't stop until he's got you," Luz ended with a little sullenly. 

__"Aww, don't sound _so_ worried," Eda said, walking over to the teen. "I'm a master escape artist. The _only_ thing that can slow me down is my curse, and _that_ hasn't bothered me for _weeks_ ," the witch added with her usual flair. As if mocking her, feathers sprouted from her arms, immediately making the witch regret the words she'd just spoke. "Uh-oh," was the last thing Eda remembered saying before standing in her cursed memory. __

____

____

Was her mind playing tricks on her, or had the memory been getting more and more defined? This time, she was back in her childhood room, sleeping peacefully when the door opened. But, like all the other times, Eda still couldn't make out who had cast the curse. "You know, I'm getting a little tired of this game," she admitted to the figure sounding more than just a little annoyed. She began to approach the silhouette, saying "So why don't you just show me _your_ face?" She felt her hand touch something solid before she was jarred back to reality. 

She opened her eyes to see her hand resting on Luz's face, the teen's eyes clenched in fear. _Oh crap, what am I doing?_ "Oh...Whew! Oh, thanks for this," Eda commented, holding the empty bottle of elixir. So it was still working; that was good to know. She stood, realized that they were working, just _way_ more than she'd previously thought. "And those." Her swift movement caused her scarf to unravel. 

"Hey, your gem," Luz pointed out with worry. "It's still dark!" 

"Uh, no it's not. You're nuts," Eda responded, moving the scarf so that it covered her gem once again. _The one time I don't worry about the stupid thing and it falls open in front of them_ , Eda thought. 

Her pupil was not so easily fooled. "Your curse has been getting worse and _you've_ been hiding it," Luz accused. 

Did Eda really think she could trick the observant teen with the surprisingly long record of sniffing things out? "Oh, you're right," the witch admitted in defeat. She let the scarf fall open again and looked at her feet. _This is it. Can't hide it from them anymore._ "It's taking more elixir to turn me back," the witch added, gesturing to her gem, "and more magic to keep the curse from rearing its feathery head." 

"What happens if you use your magic up? Do you...do you _die_?" Luz frowned, heavily. 

If this were about anybody else, Eda might've laughed at how dark the conversation had turned. "No! Jeez, you're morbid," Eda noted. _Why did the kid always jump to the worst conclusion possible?_ "I just kinda sorta turn into the Owl Beast...forever. Ah, it's a fate much worse than death if you think about it," the witch said with a grin and snort. _Whoops, making it worse Eda!_

"No. No, I can't let that happen. I'll do something about it," the teen declared. "I'll find a cure and then-" 

_Uh-oh, this is really starting to upset her._ "Hey, don't worry. I just have to limit my magic use a little," Eda tried again. With each incident, it was getting harder to convince Luz she would be alright. Well, it was taking Eda more time to come to terms with her inevitable fate as well, so she'd cut the kid some slack. Eda attempted to make Luz physically smile, all the hurt on the teen's face was making her feel bad. Ah, _there's_ the Luz I know." 

Luz was certainly smiling, though it looked more pained than happy. It slid off her face like melting snow and her lips and eyes began to wobble with oncoming tears. Okay, so Luz was clearly worried and upset about her wellbeing and wasn't going to feel better until she'd done her human thing. Accepting the fact that Eda secretly wanted one, she looked away and said, "Go on. Do the parallel arm thing." Luz didn't hesitate to latch onto the older woman which set a silent signal to King who quickly followed suit. She no longer had the heart to shove the two away and chose to walk them to the front door. "Okay, It's time...for...school," she managed to say as she walked towards her bedroom door. Somehow, she'd managed the strength to carry Luz down the stairs and to the front door before finally setting the teen down. "Have a _good_ day," the teen wished. 

"Get rest. Drink lots of water," Luz told her mentor as Eda put her backpack on for her. "Stay out of the sun. Lift with your knees, not-" 

Three pieces of advice were all Eda was willing to accept before slamming the door shut on the kid's face. Maybe that was a bit harsh, but Eda _did_ appreciate Luz's worry for her wellbeing. "Ah, what a good kid," she admitted aloud. "So considerate. She deserves something nice, and I think I know what." Eda looked over at her cauldron full of magic 'sghetti. _Oh boy, that's gonna be a thing now, isn't it?_ Eh, she kinda liked it if she were being honest. "A magic 'sghetti cape, it is!" The witch found her knitting needles and set to work. 

King wandered in after eating his breakfast. "Whatcha doin'?" 

"I making a cape for Luz," Eda mumbled, focused on keeping her pattern tight. 

"What's the occasion?" 

"She just deserves something nice every once in a while," Eda answered seconds later. When was the last time she'd knitted something? She was gonna have to slow down if she wanted it to look nice. 

"Oh, okay," King said with a shrug. He sat with Eda in silence for an hour or so before drifting off to sleep. 

Hours later, Eda had almost finished the cape, stopping only to admire her handy work. "Yeah. Something tells me Luz is gonna like having a cape," the witch stated aloud. 

The dozing King lifted his head. "Cape? I thought you were making a _cake_ ," King cried. 

"You thought I was knitting a _cake_?" She'd be in the kitchen if that were the case. 

"I, uh...Anyway, if there's no cake, then _I_ have to get to work," King informed, rushing off on his short legs to the kitchen. "Would you look at us two being all _generous_ to that kid. You know, when she first got here, I thought that we were gonna eat her. But now I only think about that, like, _sometimes_ ," the demon said from the kitchen. He hit the wall while gathering a baking dish, knocking a frame to the floor. 

_King thinks about eating Luz? I'll have to make sure he's always fed so I don't find a half-eaten human carcass lying around,_ Eda told herself. The witch walked over to pick up the fallen picture, adding, "Yeah, she's changed the feel of this house." The witch stared at the photo with pride. It was the time Luz and King made a bet that Luz couldn't beat the monsters in an eating contest. For being such a small teen, Luz easily put away all the food placed before her in record time. "Well, she always had a good heart but was impatient, and always bit off more than she could chew. But despite all that, I think she's finally growing up." Eda could certainly tell this from the way the teen had first been compared to know. 

Luz no longer let silly little lies like pre-determined destinies and insecurities hold her back. When the teen noticed she didn't have the physical strength for this realm, she went to Eda for a meal plan and daily exercise routine. King had become her personal motivator and teacher of all things non-magical. When Eda failed to find a way for the human to practice magic, Luz figured it out and continued to do more with her glyphs. The teen was _constantly_ working on her glyphs and looking for new ones. She'd found five on her own so far! That's more than Eda could boast. Luz was always looking out for King and her mentor, no matter what. 

If Eda ever had a kid of her own, she'd want them to be as kind, carefree and independent as Luz was. Eda was proud to call that scrawny little human her apprentice and she hoped that these few months would stick with the young girl forever. Sitting back down, Eda continued to knit the base of the cape. Knowing Luz's love for theatrics, Eda decided to have the base look like coat-tails for a more flashy look. It was closer to the time Luz usually showed up from school that Eda had finished her cape. She held the indigo and purple article in her hands, anxious to see Luz put it on. Eda hoisted it up in order to tri-fold the outer garment and tied a ribbon around the cape. She found a little tag and had just finished writing a message to the teen when Hooty opened the front door. 

"I spy with my little eye something coming this way," the house demon informed. 

The witch felt a surge of adrenaline when she heard Hooty's rhyme. "Luz!" Her apprentice was almost home. 

"Wait," King cried. He wheeled in a large tiered cake into the living room. "Wait for me!" He stopped, pulling out a box of Insta Mix and saying, "You're not the only one who knows dark magic. Now, stop gawking and load me in," the demon ordered. 

Smirking at the demon's antics, Eda lowered her furry friend into the cake and closed the lid. _A little party magic won't hurt me_ , Eda told herself. She placed streamers and decorations for the kid and waited for a knock on the front door. She was more excited than she'd ever been in her life. A chance to surprise the kid without her knowing was a once in a lifetime deal. Then she heard it; the knock on the door. Her stomach flipped as she reached for the door, gift cradled in her free hand. The voice that spoke to her, however, did not belong to her apprentice. 

"Eda," Willow said with sorrow, sharing a look with her companion. "We have some bad news. 

_Bad news?_ That was when she noticed a small beacon of light behind the children's heads. The staff was unmistakable, as was the challenge it symbolized. Eda clenched her teeth in rage. Of all the dumb things her sister had done to try and capture her, this would be Lilith's _biggest_ blunder yet. "Where did Lilith take her?" 

"We were at the Emperor's Palace when she kidnapped Luz. We were...," Willow stopped, biting her lip as though she were trying to make up her mind. 

"Willow?" Eda didn't want to snap at the child, but her patience was thinning by the second. 

"Luz wanted to steal the Healing Hat and Lilith found us in the Artifact Room. Then, she sent us on her staff to tell you that she has Luz." 

"Kids, go home," Eda ordered, "I'll go get Luz." Owlbert flew to her as she set Luz's gift down on the couch. She was in such a rush to get to Luz, Eda didn't bother to tell King a word. Not keen on wasting a second more, Eda teleported directly to closes bridge at the Emperor's Palace. She found Lilith standing there, waiting, no doubt, for her. Lilith had the audacity to _smirk_ at her. Eda sent her treacherous sister's staff flying at her face, empaling the wall off to the side behind her. Eda would _not_ be holding back this time! 

"Sister," Lilith greeted, "I see that you got my invitation to a Witch's Duel." 

_Does she think this is a game?_ Eda fired a volley of attacks, letting them rain down at random around her sister. The Owl Lady rushed past her sister, searching for her kid. Lilith blocked a couple of her attacks, sending one towards her way. "Where is she?" Eda growled. She wasn't here for some petty banter or a light show. She _wanted_ Luz back or she was going to rain Hell down upon the Emperor's Coven. 

"Easy now," Lilith warned, causing the raging woman to stop in front of her. "The human is safe." A blue ball zoomed forward, stopping just behind its caster. 

"Eda," Luz cried. The teen looked scared but unharmed. 

"You can have her back provided you do as _I_ say," Lilith offered. "Renounce your wild ways and join the Emperor's Coven. He can help _heal_ your curse." 

When they were younger, Lilith had always been a bright witch. But now, Eda didn't see a single sign of intelligence left in that brainwashed head of hers. "Don't believe everything that _bonehead_ tells you," Eda argued through gritted teeth. "He doesn't wanna heal me. He wants to _control_ me." 

"Then I will take you in by force," the foolish witch declared. 

Letting herself lower to the bridge, Eda faced her sister, intent on saving her student. "You've always looked down on me because I'm wild, but _, fortunately,_ that just made me work _harder_ than you." Digging deep down into her more reserved magic, Eda called it all forth, a large owl made from light forming behind her. If this cost her to lose all her magic, then so be it, but no one was gonna get away with kidnapping Luz. Not even her own sister. Moving at speeds faster than anyone had ever moved with magic, Eda knocked her sister several hundreds of feet into the air. She moved behind Lilith, hoping to slam her back into the ground, but her sister was quick. _So the Coven hasn't made her rusty after all?_ Lilith attempted the same move, but Eda had already moved. 

Eda kicked Lilith, sending her off to the side. It continued to be a fast-paced match of who could catch who first. The eyes of Luz, Belos, and the coven attempted to follow their every move. Using a cheap shot, Lilith sent a beam of magic towards Luz. Eda felt her stomach drop as she raced to save the teen from being impaled. "Luz," she called as the teen rolled away from her. She maneuvered the boards of the bridge to safely stop the teen from rolling to her death before glaring up at Lilith. Her sister dove towards the crack of empty space between them, forcing Eda to jump back. Eda created three Hooty-like demons to wrap around Lilith. Eda used this time to send a giant funnel of magic speeding towards her sister. The damn woman pulled Luz forward as a shield. Using a great amount of will and strength, Eda managed to shift her magic before Luz was decimated by the raw power. 

"Stop hiding behind Luz, you coward!" Eda wouldn't be able to keep this up much longer. She was already struggling to stay upright and sweating from the exertion. 

Likewise, Lilith seemed to be pretty winded herself. "It's sad to see you slowing down, sister. Tell me, is it the _curse_?" Lilith asked mockingly. 

Eda glared at her, wondering how the two had come to this. Sure, they liked to pick on each other, but Lilith was attacking Eda like she'd done something to her. When had her sister resorted to such low blows and treachery? She could hear Luz yelling at her, something about her gem, but she would worry about that later. 'Save Luz,' that was the plan and all Eda was going to focus on right now. "Maybe it _is_ the curse," Eda began, rising with her hand gripping her staff even more tightly. "But then, how _pathetic_ are you...that you can't even best me _at my WORST!_ " She divided one larger circle into several smaller ones, attacking Lilith with renewed vigor. Her little Hooty's wrapped around Luz, pulling her to safety as Lilith took the brunt of the attack. 

"Maybe you _are_ stronger than me, but that just made me work smarter," Lilith replied. "I became sharp, crafty." 

"A _lapdog_ for a tyrant," Eda simplified. She slowed her continuous attacks, preparing for a few more larger ones. 

"You always thought you were _better_ than me," Lilith bit out, malice dripping from every word, "that I could never beat you in _anything_." 

"I _am_ better than you!" 

"Then why were you so easy to _CURSE_?" Lilith shouted. 

Eda stopped all attacks, shock and her sister's word doing more damage than any spell she'd cast so far. The memory in her mind suddenly cleared, her teenage sister appearing from the silhouette. 

"And...and I have the power to remove it, if you would _just_ let me explain," Lilith attempted weakly. 

Her sister? Curse her? That couldn't be right, could it? But then...Lilith was the one who suggested an elixir after she first turned. Lilith... _Lilith!_ As if using Luz as bait wasn't bad enough, now Eda would make sure Lilith felt all her pain and suffering before the duel was over. Unable to contain her rage, Eda darted forward screaming her lungs out. _Her sister, the one she DEFENDED in school, the one she GAVE UP her DREAM for, the one she LOVED NO MATTER WHAT, cursed her to SUFFER as a CHILD AND TOOK EDA'S WHILE SHE WAS ALREADY AHEAD!!!_

Lilith slammed into a wall, cracking the bricks and losing her breath upon impact. 

"Eda, stop. Your _magic_ ," Luz yelled at her mentor. The darkness was growing. 

Lilith gave another smirk, the information she needed now hers. Eda watched in fear as Luz was encased in Lilith's magic. "Human," the snake said, "that orb was for your protection." 

Luz cried out as she was thrown over the side of the bridge, seemingly falling to her death. Eda quickly made a spell circle, crying out Luz's name. The witch's magic was beginning to fizz out, pain searing through Eda's body. She caught Luz and couldn't help the groans that were tearing themselves out of her throat. 

"Eda," Luz said, "stop! You'll run out of magic." 

Her apprentice was always _so_ bossy, wasn't she? "It's my power, kid. And before you showed up, I spent my _whole_ life wasting it." _And I really did, didn't I?_ Damn her sister, now she was pushing Luz towards the sharp bones and her magic was almost completely gone. 

"Eda, no, no, _no!_ " Luz cried out. 

Did Luz have a death wish? Of course, not. She was doing it again. Being considerate of Eda even though she was _literally_ in mortal peril. _What did Willow say? Luz attempted to steal from Belos for her despite being new to magic?_ Luz was always doing for her; it was time Eda did something for the teen in return. _Guess all those rehearsed speeches came in handy,_ Eda noted wistfully. The darkness was now affecting her sight. 

"Alright kid," Eda began with a shaky voice, committing the last time she'd see Luz to memory, "listen to me. I'm going away and...I don't know if I can bounce back this time. Watch over King. Remember to feed Hooty." 

"Please, no," Luz begged emotionally. 

Eda had to stay strong and get the last, most important part out for Luz to hear. "And Luz...thank you for being in my life." She used the last of her strength to send Owlbert and magic to carry Luz to safety. She felt herself scream as her magic discharged, pain wracking her body. This last transformation hurt more than she could describe but it felt...final. The darkness closed in on her like a vice. Alone in her mind, Eda broke down, sobbing and pounding on the ground. Too much had happened, too much for her to handle. No amount of planning could have prepared her for this bleak reality. She didn't get to say goodbye to King, her oldest friend. Her sister cursed her and never said a word for _years_. And Luz...the poor girl would never be the same. She'd blame herself 'til the day she died. 

The door opened, revealing Lilith in the red glow of the curse. Eda rounded on her, intent on releasing her anger on the traitor. Her fist went through the apparition as it continued walking towards her younger form. "How could you?" Eda yelled. The figure didn't answer her. "Why? Just tell me why?" Still no answer. The curse was cast and the scene reset. This would be all that Eda would see for the rest of her miserable existence. The witch slid to the floor, head in hands, and back against the side of her bed. She stopped counting how many times the memory had replayed after 50. No one spoke. Just Lilith entering as silent as Death and sentencing her sleeping form to a lifetime of pain and confusion. Belos was never going to heal her, Eda had always been sure about that. Who knew what awful thing he was going to use her for? What if he decided to go after Luz? If she made it back home, Hooty could protect her. She should have given the key to King, now the girl was stuck here forever. Alone. 

The door opened again, but suddenly a crimson light flooded in, wrapping around Eda and pulling her forward. She struggled against it, but the beam was too strong and she felt like she was being pressed into the ground. Whatever the light was, it burned her, causing her to writhe in place for a bit before it finally stopped. "Ah. Where am I?" She asked aloud. She saw that her hands were still monstrous claws and remembered fighting Lilith who knew how long ago. "What is this?" She looked around and then up to see Lilith and Belos standing before her. "Ah, farts. I got caught," she said, ears lowering at the notion. 

"Edalyn Clawthorne," Belos said with a mechanical hint, "the _infamous_ Owl Lady. The Wild Witch of Bonesborough. The mentor of Luz the Human." He kneeled before the bound witch. 

Eda wanted to claw the creeps face off at the mention of Luz. He could torture her all he wanted, but Luz was off-limits. "You stay away from her, or so help me, Titan..." 

The masked figured chuckled at the threat. "You've got it all wrong," he said. "The human is safe...for now." 

Eda clenched her teeth tighter at the thinly-veiled threat. 

"I just want the portal she came through." 

"Tough, 'cause I ain't tell you nothin'!" Eda said. 

"Ugh, pity," Belos said coldly. "Although, I suppose I could just ask the human herself." 

Eda panicked. Belos could easily trap Luz and she wouldn't be able to stop him in this form. "Wait, don't touch her," Eda begged. "Lilith. Lilith, don't let him hurt her. Lilith!" The witch cried out, hoping her sister would still do this one thing for her. Eda could see that her sister was shocked by the turn of events, but dammit, she needed Luz to be safe. The guards dragged her down to the torture chamber as Kikimora sealed her to a spot on the floor. "She's just a kid," Eda pleaded. The little witch didn't spare her a second glance as her and the guards left the damp room. Eda pulled at the chains. Pulled and pulled and pulled until...she was back in her cursed mindset. "NO!" Eda screamed, trying to wake herself up again. Luz was in danger because of her. She should have realized Belos would drag her into this just like her sister had. 

Time slipped away from her as she tried to wake herself up. She saw a ball of gold light and blinked hard. _It couldn't be..._. But it was. Luz had found her way back to Eda, and ultimately back into danger. "Luz!?!? Oh no, oh nonononononono." She shook her head, hoping it was just another nightmare. "What, what are you _doing_ here?" 

"It's okay, Eda," Luz began. "I'm here to save you." Luz placed a fire glyph at the base of the chain around Eda's neck. 

Did she dare to hope? The first glyph failed, and with it, the sliver of hope Eda had for them both escaping. But then again, this was Eda's chance to save her. To send her where Belos couldn't reach her. "Your magic isn't strong enough for _this_. You _need_ to leave. Now!" She used her giant hand to try and push the teen away. 

"But, but I _can't_ ," Luz reasoned, placing another glyph down. "It's my fault you needed to save me. I-it's my fault you got captured." 

Eda knew this was gonna happen. Of course, Luz would feel guilty for everything, but it wasn't her fault. Eda grabbed the teen with her hands as gently as she could and lifted her until she was standing. Now, the two were eye to eye. "No! Listen to me. I'm here because of my own actions. I went against Belos' law and...for a while I was able to get away with it. But...without magic, I can't do much," Eda admitted, looking at her chains forlornly. "I don't regret anything. I lived freely and...I got to meet you." What she wouldn't give to be able to take Luz back to the Owl House and forget everything that happened. Luz meant the world to her. She wanted to see her blossom into a wonderful young lady who went on dates with Amity and laughed until her eyes watered. Eda wanted to take her to the tree she made Owlbert from and let her make her own staff. She'd earned it. But most of all, Eda wanted Luz to smile again. She could face her end if Luz would just smile one more time. 

"Eda..." 

To hear her name said with such sadness, the witch couldn't bear it. She brought a hand up to Luz's head, holding it for strength to ground them both. "But if you stay here, I won't be able to protect you. Ya need to leave, now!" She just needed Luz to be safe. If she couldn't have a smile send her off, then at least the thought of her being safe from Belos would suffice. 

As she pulled her hand back, Luz grabbed it, leaning her head back into the grasp. Her hand gripped the feathery appendage tightly. Neither one wanted to let go, not truly. "But we're a family," the teen acknowledged with tears in her eyes and voice. "Us weirdos have to stick together. Remember?" 

How could Eda ever forget? That's why she had to send the teen back to the Human Realm. Loathe as she was to send Luz where she felt stifled and underappreciated, it was safe. Eda reached into her hair, pulling out the dimensional key. This was really happening, wasn't it? If it meant breaking the kid's heart to make sure she went through the dimensional door, she'd do just that. She just hoped that one day, Luz's mother would come to appreciate the daughter she had. Eda clicked the button on the key, summoning the door. "You _have_ a family already," she reminded the teen. "Go back to them. And when you're home, use your fire magic to destroy the portal door. I don't know _why_ Belos wants it, but we can't take any chances." 

Luz held the key in her hand, tears brimming in her eyes. She looked like she wanted to say something to the witch. Tucking the key away, Luz wrapped her arms around Eda as best as she could. "I love you, Eda," Luz admitted, her tears wetting a few feathers. 

Eda froze momentarily. She never knew she needed to hear those words from Luz, she just wished they were said under better circumstances. "I love you too, kiddo," Eda responded, tears now welling in her own eyes. She used her free hand to hug the girl back, wishing she had a way to spare the girl all the grief she was no doubt feeling. Red lights and a siren began to fill the room, the ground shaking underneath the two. "Luz, get back," Eda warned, pushing the girl away. She was lucky she had as the chains turned to bars and caged her off from the teen. The platform began to lift into the air. 

"No," Luz called out. Jumping up and grabbing hold of Eda's fingers. "Not yet!" 

Eda swallowed the lump that had formed in her throat. "I'm sorry." She let the girl fall back to the ground before they got too high. "Goodbye Luz," the witch said, the sight of the teen breaking her heart and shaking her resolve. 

"EDA," she heard the teen yell before she was outside in the petrification grounds. Kikimora appeared next to her cage as the platform came to a halt. There were drums and a crowd gathered down below. It seemed Belos would be making her execution public. It seemed about right. Kikimora walked away, pulling a lever that brought up the statue that would end her life. Eda gulped, wondering if it hurt to be turned to stone. As she waited for the sentence to be carried out, two guards brought over King and...Lilith! 

"Hello, Edalyn," her deceptive older sister greeted. 

"Lilith. _You_ hurt Luz. You _cursed_ me. Before anything turns me to stone, I'll _tear_ you apart," she declared, her claws slashing through the air. This was good. If she couldn't kill Belos, she could at least take Lilith with her. 

"No! Don't," King defended. 

Eda gasped. Had her friend turned against her too? 

"She was _trying_ to help. She even betrayed the emperor for you," the demon informed. 

"What?" Eda could weep with joy and regret. She'd been so convinced her sister was too far gone to be reasoned with, but Eda must've gotten through to her earlier. She let her anger get the best of her and failed to realize that Lilith was in the cage _with_ her, not outside taunting her. 

"If I knew something like _this_ would happen...," Lilith bowed her head in shame. The kneeling woman looked up, reaching for her sister's face. "Edalyn, I-' 

The sound of the machine readying a petrification beam stopped the conversation momentarily. Eda heard the voice of one of Luz's friends. It was Willow and she was arguing against the petrification sentence. In a matter of seconds, the crowd was chanting for her release. A rebellion would soon be on its way. Luz would be proud of them for helping her try to free Eda. The first beam fired, King and Lilith cowering in fear. Eda, her faith restored in Lilith, took the blow for her family. As it turned out, petrification did, in fact, hurt. It caused the witch to lose strength in her feet as she felt feather and muscle harden sinew by sinew. She fell over as the spell was cut off short. Eda closed her eyes against the pain, focusing on breathing and fighting against the petrification. 

Lilith pressed her hands and forehead to Eda's body, aiding her in strength and will power. There was a ringing in her ears that was slowly starting to fade away. The former coven member stepped back to see if she had helped any. She heard the human threaten Kikimora, something Lilith had always wanted to do but never had the guts to. 

"Eda," the teen said, running over to her mentor. "Are you okay?" She asked worriedly. 

Eda opened her eyes, looking over at the teen. "As good as I'll ever be," she stated honestly. _Why didn't you go home?_ Eda wanted to ask. Guards began to surround the group. Thinking fast, Eda zoned in on King and Luz, tossing them onto her back. "Let's fly!" She waited until Lilith had climbed on top too, before taking off. The crowd cheered below, but Eda was more concerned about getting as far away from Belos as possible. It took way more strength than Eda actually had to achieve this goal, but it was well worth it when she crashed to the ground in front of the Owl House. She was out of breath and on the verge of passing out from exhaustion as she lay on the cold, hard earth. 

"Eda, I'll run and get you some elixir and-" 

"No, human," Eda heard Lilith say to Luz. "No amount of elixir can heal her now." 

_What is she saying? I'm done for? I suppose she does know more about the curse than I do,_ Eda noted. 

Lilith came to kneel in front of Eda, taking her younger sister's face into her hands. "Oh, sister, I should have done this a _long_ time ago." 

Eda opened her eyes, watching in confusion as Lilith pressed her forehead against hers. There was regret in Lilith's eyes, but also hope. And Eda often found that hope was addicting when you were low on it. 

Lilith closed her eyes, saying, "With this spell declared, let the pain be shared." 

It was powerful magic, sharing pain with another being. It pulled the two into the air, Eda's wings spreading before the began to disappear. It was like a weight being removed from her chest and it tickled a bit as the feathers on arms began to fall out. They flew away until Eda felt like she was back to normal and drifted back to the ground. She stared at Lilith, wanting to thank her but caught off guard at the two eye colors she saw. There was also a streak of silver in her raven locks. _What now?_

"Eda!" Luz ran towards her, King right behind her. 

The witch laughed in disbelief, welcoming the hug that was to come. This time, she was ready for the impact, pulling the girl tighter to her and holding her there for a moment. Luz was a miracle. That was the only way Eda could think to describe her at that very moment. She'd done the impossible and saved them all. Luz pulled back, King and the teen smiling up at Eda. 

"Can you still do magic?" The teen asked, curious. 

Eda drew a circle, hope rising at the yellow shape. It fell with the magic into oblivion. "That's a 'no'. It'll take some time to get used to this," Eda admitted a little disappointed. She knew her luck wasn't always that good. They couldn't have escaped unharmed _and_ still have magic on their side. 

"I feel that I've been weakened as well," Lilith added sadly. 

"It's okay," Luz informed, glyph in hand. She placed it in her mentor's palm saying, "I can teach you what I know and...what we _don't_ know, we can learn together." 

Eda was skeptical that she could use glyph magic, but what else did she have to try at this point. She slapped the paper and watched in shock as it balled itself up. It glowed bright like a tiny star and drifted upwards into the night sky. It would seem that Luz would now be her teacher, and together, they would learn the magic necessary to survive. Especially with Belos after her Portal Door. With great gratitude, Eda moved closer to Luz, ruffling her hair. "Thanks, kid. I look forward to that." Pulling her into a side hug, the four stared up into the night sky. Eda kept Luz close to her as long as she could, but her body was still sore from all that she had been through. "Alright, who's ready for bed?" 

"Oh, oh me," King admitted. Lilith and Luz just nodded. 

"Well, come on sleepy-heads. Let's get inside before Belos sends any more guards after us." Eda lightly pushed Luz forward when the girl gave a slight his. "Luz, are you alright?" 

"Huh? Oh yeah, just took a pretty nasty blow to the back," the teen said, holding her left shoulder. 

"Do you know who dealt it so I can deal worse?" 

Luz stayed silent for a moment as they walked. 

It was starting to worry Eda. Before she could ask again, Luz spoke up. 

"I kinda fought Emperor Belos and got thrown into a statue," she mumbled. 

"He's a dead man," Eda growled, clenching her fists. _When did she go up against Belos?_ "Luz, how did Belos even get a hold of you? I told you to go home." 

"I couldn't leave you, Eda. And, _technically_ , I did go through the door. But Lilith said she was going to help free you and that she needed me, so I stayed. On our way to get you, he captured King and Lilith, and I...faced him." 

As they neared the house, Eda could make out bruises and singed clothing. She'd been clean and unscathed before they were separated. "Did Lilith hurt you too?" 

"What? No. My magic doesn't work in the Human Realm, so she just pinned me down and explained what happened. I think the two of you should talk about everything. It might make more sense after you do," Luz advised wisely. 

The kid was covered in little wounds, but she wanted her mentor to patch things up with her estranged sister. Titan, Eda loved this kind soul. "Okay. But first, you let me handle those wounds. We'll have to rely on potions to keep you from getting any infections." 

Luz smiled, skipping ever so slightly. "Okay. But I should shower and change first." 

It felt like her world had finally righted and stopped spinning. Luz was smiling again and it wasn't tear-filled. Hooty greeted them, but not before hissing at Lilith and chasing her around for a bit. It took some convincing on Eda's part, but the house demon finally let the other woman in. As promised, Luz hopped in the shower and King passed out on the sofa. Eda led Lilith upstairs. "A lot of the rooms are filled with junk right now. If you don't mind, you could sleep in my nest while I tend to Luz." 

"You sleep in a nest?" 

"I forget you haven't seen my room since we were little," Eda remembered. She opened the door to her room and let Lilith in first. 

"It's...so much more cleaner and organized than I expected," Lilith commented with wide eyes. "And you really _do_ have a nest!" 

"Yeah, well, being cursed as a were-owl will cause you to make one when you're not aware." Eda crossed her arms, not wanting to look at her sister. It was still sinking in for her, that her sister _actually_ cursed her. 

"Eda...I'm sorry," Lilith finally said. It carried the weight of years of guilt. "It doesn't fix what I did to you, but I _am_ sorry for everything I ever put you through." 

"Why?" Eda choked out, her eyes stinging with hot tears. 

"I knew you were going to beat me in our duel for the Emperor's Coven. I...I thought I found a spell that would take away your powers for a day but...but I was _wrong_." 

Eda looked over at her crying sister. "Why didn't you just _talk_ to me? I would have understood. It meant so much more to you than me, that's why I forfeited." To comfort her sister, or to be angry with her? _What would Luz do?_ Eda sighed. "I never once thought it was you." 

Lilith sank to her knees. "Please, forgive me. I never meant to hurt you. I was dumb and selfish." Small sobs wracked the woman's body. 

Eda thought about how she was going to say her next words. "I can't forgive you...not yet. It's gonna take some time to deal with this and move forward. But you _are_ welcome to stay here with us, provided you stop calling Luz 'human' and 'pet.' She's not any of those things and I feel like she's proven herself a bright young witch. So, either call her Luz or don't talk to her. Treat her with respect or I throw you out," Eda informed. She would never get the image of Luz plummeting to her death out of her mind. It would haunt her dreams for years to come. 

Lilith nodded. "Yes, she's very loyal to you. She certainly tried her best to kill me after you were sent up." 

Eda laughed. "That's my girl. Hit 'em hard and hit 'em fast." 

Lilith smiled. "I can't believe you adopted a kid before me." 

"I didn't adopt no _dang_ kid." 

"Yuh-huh." 

"Nuh-uh." 

"Yuh-huh." 

"Nuh-uh." 

Luz opened the door with a look of confusion. "Whatcha guys talkin' about?" 

The sisters glanced over at Luz at the same time. 

"Ugh," the teen cringed, "that's gonna take some getting used to." 

"You ready for me to patch ya up, kid?" 

"Yes, please." 

"Good, 'cause I wanna hear more about Emperor Belos and you kickin' his butt!" Eda led the teen into the kitchen where her potion supplies were kept. The teen sat on a stool as Eda dug through bottles. "So, Belos signed a waiver stating he wants to die, and then what?" 

"Uh...we made a bargain to set you free," the teen stated cryptically. 

"Luz..." 

The teen frowned. "Just a little bargain, but you would've loved how I tricked him!" 

"What kind of bargain, young lady?" Eda asked with her hands on her hips. 

Luz looked down, hand gripping her at her shirt. She sighed before pulling out the Portal Door key and handing it over to Eda. "He wanted the Portal Door in exchange for letting me save you. So...," Luz hesitated as Eda stared at the key. 

_Oh no...please no._

"I gave it to him, but as he sent me up, I blew it up with light glyphs," the teen finally admitted. 

Eda was relieved to hear the door had been destroyed, but now she realized why Luz still seemed a little downcast. She was stuck on the Boiling Isles and had no way to contact her family. "Luz...how...why..." Why did Luz have to make the biggest sacrifice of them all? The curse taking over was inevitable, but Luz going home was now impossible. How was she going to find another door before her time was up and her mother expected her? Eda may not like the woman, but if she cared for Luz as Eda did, the pain would tear the lady apart. "Your family," Eda blurted out. 

"I know. I have hope that we'll find a way. Don't worry about it," Luz said softly. 

"You're right. We'll find one before Belos does," Eda said, more as wishful thinking than fact. "Now, let's put some salves on your wounds so we can go to bed." 

"Yeah, you must be pretty tired." 

"You know it, kid." Eda found the right creams and liquids to dab on the cuts, scrapes, and bruises while Luz told her about all the guards she took out. Eda was more than impressed to hear she'd done it without any help at all. She'd finished tending to the teen's wounds before deciding to leave it all out. She'd deal with it in the morning when she cared. 

Luz hopped off the stool and gave a bright smile to her mentor. "I almost forgot to tell you, thank you for the cape!" The teen carefully hugged Eda this time, taking the woman's sore body into consideration. 

Eda would never again fight one of Luz's hugs and wrapped her hands around the teen. "I'm glad you liked it. We were gonna throw you a party, but that can wait 'til we've rested." Luz looked up at her, eyes bright with hope for the future. The teen stepped back, a big grin on her face. Eda cupped Luz's face, returning the smile before ruffling Luz's damp hair. "Help an old woman up the stairs?" 

"Of course," Luz said, holding an arm out for the older witch. "I can't wait for our magic lessons. I'll show you how to draw them 'cause a couple of them are picky and..." the teen continued to speak as they slowly made their way up the stairs. They stopped at Eda's room, a yawn interrupted the teen. She opened the door for Eda, letting her walk in and handing her some clothes to change into. "Goodnight, Eda." 

Eda held her clothes under her arm. "Goodnight, kiddo. Sleep tight and don't let the night critters bite." Luz waved on her way out before shutting the door. Eda looked back down at the clothes she'd been handed. It was going to take her weeks to get used to not having magic at her beck and call, but she didn't regret a single decision. She really hoped Luz wouldn't grow to resent her for everything that happened the past few days. Lilith snores drifted to Eda from her nest, reminding the witch that she needed sleep. Changing as quickly as her limbs would let her, Eda crawled into the nest next to her sister. She was too tired to reflect on everything else that had happened since she was captured and drifted off into a dreamless sleep. At some point in the night, Lilith had pulled Eda close, holding her as she used to when they were children. Eda mumbled a 'Lily,' before shifting closer and finally relaxing. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Guess who cried while writing this? It me. Wow, I can't believe season 1 is over. I loved the finale because it was both episodes 18 and 19, not just 19. Bonus points to anyone who catches the Wendie Malick reference. (I'll give you a hint: it's a scene from a Disney movie that she's in.) I already miss my wife, but at least she's safe and sound. _And_ we got Eda to freaking return the hug!!! My heart exploded with joy, you guys. It was perfect and you can't change my mind. I think I'll keep adding to this but it'll be original ideas. I can already tell you that the next chapter is gonna be a Season 2 Episode 1 prediction, so be ready for that next weekend. I'll probably post Saturdays/Sundays depending on how much homework I have, but they're so fun to write that you'll get one between those two days. Hope you enjoyed it! Let me know if you've got any Mama Eda moments y'all want written.


	8. Eda Gets Many Hugs! :D

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Takes place after Eda and the others escape Belos. Some much-needed fluff and, yes, lots of hugs for the witch with the golden heart: Eda. This chapter is a bit shorter, but I blame my cat for distracting me. Hope you enjoy it!

The smell of something burning and the blinding sunlight woke the slumbering Eda. She groaned, her body sore from the stress of the last two days. She walked behind her folding screen and began to create a spell circle. As it sputtered out of existence, the witch frowned, scratching her head. "Ugh, gotta do it the hard, do we?" Grumbling, Eda changed into her usual dress and fixed the few out-of-place strands. Trudging down the stair and scratching her face, she entered the living room to hear King and Luz in the kitchen. Whatever the two had burnt, it hadn't set the place on fire. Good, they'd all be in trouble if it had.

"Luz, what _are_ you making?" The older witch asked, yawning from the doorway. The teen stood in front of the stove, pouring some yellowy goop onto a flat pan. 

"Oh, you're up already," Luz greeted. "I'm making pancakes for lunch. You were still asleep and I decided to make breakfast." 

"That's nice. We can't afford to burn the house down, so let's be a bit more careful, okay?" Eda sat on the stool next to King who was mixing the sweet-smelling batter. He looked very determined as he whisked in a clockwise motion. 

"Sorry, I'm not used to your stove," the teen apologized. She used a wooden spatula to carefully flip the round sponge. "I usually help my Mom by flipping them, so I hope they taste alright." 

"I'm sure they'll taste fine," Eda said with a yawn, resting her chin on the countertop. She closed her eyes for a moment, feeling herself drift off for a little bit as Luz continued to cook. 

"Eugh! What is that _repugnant_ smell?" Lilith asked as the entered the kitchen. 

Eda opened her eyes, following the dark-haired witch as she stopped near her. Luz frowned, turning back to her task. King shot a quick glare at Lilith before taking the bowl of batter over to the teen. Eda sighed, not wanting to argue so soon. "Good morning to you too, Lilith." 

"Why is the hu-" 

Eda growled, fixing her sister with more than just a heated stare. 

"Uh...Luz," Lilith corrected. "Why is _Luz_ cooking?" 

"'Cause she wanted to," Eda explained. "Were _you_ going to cook for us?" 

"Well...no." 

"Okay then. Thank Luz and be quiet," Eda told her sister. The witch closed her eyes again but reopened as she realized someone was watching her. 

"Are you okay?" Luz asked, her brow furrowed in concern. 

"Who? _Me?_ " Eda asked, pointing lazily towards herself. Luz nodded. "I'm fine, just a little tired is all. I'm sure I'll feel better once I eat some of your pancakes," she informed with a smile. 

"Well, there are plenty of pancakes that are already made. King and I went into Bonesburough for some syrup this morning and we got some stuff for supper too." 

"You went into _Bonesburough_!?!? That's extremely dangerous," Lilith interrupted, slamming her hands on the countertop. "We're wanted by the Emperor's Coven now, you can't just traipse into town anymore." 

"And who's fault is that?" Luz challenged, standing taller. 

Eda laughed at the look on Lilith's face. "She got ya there!" King high-fived Luz. "Calm down, Lily. Luz knows what she's doing." 

"It was super cool 'cause King and I snuck into town with my new cape and we were all mysterious and cool. We even waited in the alley as that multi-eyed monster bought the syrup for us," Luz said, bouncing in place. "It was so fun!" 

"You should've seen us, Eda," King said with a swishing tail. "We had to sneak around so many guards and Luz sang a little tune about not being suspicious as we walked past them." 

Eda smiled, pride swelling deep within her. Her apprentice had learned much about dodging the cops from her. And she'd fooled them all, too! "Nice job, kiddo. I knew that cape would come in handy for you." 

"Stop encouraging her," Lilith scolded, her arms crossed. 

"Hey, quit being such a spoil-sport. There's no harm in praising her for doing a great job on her own." Eda got off the stool to ruffle Luz's hair. "Now, I'm starving. Where can I get these 'pancakes' from?" King placed two on her plate as Luz pulled out the syrup for her. "And I just pour this stuff on them?" 

"Yeah, they're super tasty," Luz informed. The teen demonstrated how she decorated her pancakes before letting Eda try herself. "Here ya go, King." Luz handed the demon his plate of already prepared pancakes. He wolfed them down in record time as Eda put a little syrup on the steaming bread. 

The witch cautiously tasted the sweet-smelling pancake. To her delight, it tasted much better than what she normally ate for breakfast. Eda added more syrup to the rest of her pancakes and continued to eat. 

Lilith grimaced at the plate but served herself anyway. She decided that she preferred less of the sugary substance than her sister, mumbling a quick 'thanks' to Luz. 

The group was just about finished eating before there were loud knocks at the door. Hooty opened shortly, chastising the visitor for being so impatient. Luz hopped off her stool, reaching for her glyphs as two short beings entered the kitchen. Luz immediately relaxed as she recognized Willow and Gus. "What're you guys doing here?" The human teen asked the two Boiling Isle teens as she wrapped them into a big hug. 

"We came to make sure that all of you were alright," Willow explained. 

"Hey, Luz, let's take this to the living room. The kitchen's a bit small," Eda suggested. She went to magic the dishes away before stopping, her hand hanging in midair. "Oh yeah," she said to herself. She gasped in shock as the two witchlings engulfed her in a tight hug on either side of her. "What the...?" 

"We're so glad you're okay and not stuck as an Owl Beast," Gus exclaimed with teary eyes. 

"Uh...thanks," Eda said, not sure if she should hug the two back. "A little help." 

"Sister, you have so many kids now," Lilith teased with a chuckle. 

Eda forced a grin, carrying to two teens with her to the living room. "Okay, I'm good now." Luz and King joined in. King jumping into Eda's hair and wrapping his arms around her neck. Luz, of course, hugged her front, laying her head against the older witch's chest. Giving in, Eda did her best to hug all of them back with King as the exception. She smiled down at the kids that barely knew her but had given up so much to make sure she got home safe. The teen's detached themselves, King crawling over Eda's shoulder so she would carry them. She was about to give a heartfelt thanks when Willow and Gus gasped in unison. 

"Ah, we didn't even notice that she snuck in," Gus yelled. He made two more illusions of himself, surrounding Lilith. 

"She must have gotten here at the same time we did," Willow added, her magic beginning to gather at her fingertips. 

"Whoa, hold up," Eda warned, stepping towards Lilith. "Before you destroy my house, let's settle one thing. Lily isn't the enemy anymore." 

Hooty threw himself open, making everyone jump as Amity was set down near Luz. "Oh my gosh, are all of you alright?" The teen looked flushed and Eda noticed that the girl still had a broken leg. "I came as fast as I...could," she added, staring at Lilith. The girl quickly magicked up an abomination, preparing to send the creature after her mentor. 

"WAIT!" Eda shouted. Everyone froze, staring at the gray-haired witch. "If you want to beat her up, taker her _outside_." 

"...Your eye," Gus whispered, peering intently at the witch. He looked back at Lilith. "What...happened to your eyes?" 

Lilith frowned, sharing a look with Eda. "It's because of the curse. I may have done some...terrible things in the past, but I _am_ trying to make up for them." She looked at the small army of teens her sister had gained. "If you want to be angry with me, I completely understand." 

"Just take it outside," Eda added, calming down a bit. She sat on the couch, letting out a long sigh. She began to worry that she was always going to feel tired now. 

Luz helped a blushing Amity over to the couch, setting her next to Eda. "If you all sit down, King and I will tell all of you what happened." Willow and Gus scrambled over to the couch, Willow offering up the free cushion to Gus. She sat on the recliner as King jumped off of Eda's lap, the witch reluctantly letting him go. The demon left the room before returning with Luz's cape. 

Eda felt herself become nervous. She didn't know what happened after the curse took over. She hadn't had the time to ask anyone before she practically passed out from exhaustion. She suddenly found herself wishing she had something to hide her hands with as she wrung them while Luz donned her cape. Eda glanced over at Lilith who didn't look particularly happy to hear everything be laid bare for the others, but she must have been curious about Luz's side of things to stay in the room. 

"So, as Willow and Gus know, Lilith _kidnapped_ me and used me in her fight with Eda," Luz began. Nope, there wasn't going to be a watered-down version as far as Eda could tell. "Turns out, Lilith cursed Eda when she was younger for reasons I will reveal later. But the fight was _so_ cool up until Lilith tried to kill me. Eda had to use _all_ of her magic to save me and then she turned into the Owl Beast. Then, Lilith dragged Eda away and took Owlbert with her before telling me to 'go home,'" the teen repeated. Obviously, Luz was still upset because every time she mentioned Lilith, she would hiss the name ever so slightly. Her eyes would narrow and she'd clench a fist. "So, I walked home and then..." The teen glanced over at Eda, clenching a hand around her cape. "I found the gift Eda left for me. It's a witch's cape, for protecting the wearer against powerful spells." 

The group oh-ed and ah-ed. Lilith's eyes widened in surprise. 

"I was waiting in the cake," King said, pointing to the discarded pastry. "I asked where Eda was and then Luz cried." The demon hugged Luz, glaring at Lilith. "In the morning, we planned to save Eda and gathered up lots of paper for glyphs. We found out about the Petrification Trial while in Bonesburough and Luz busted a crystal ball because Lilith was on it." The demon snickered as Luz blushed. 

"So we got ourselves caught and I defeated Warden Wrath. I made him draw me a map," Luz said with glee. 

Eda grinned. Luz must've scared the warden if he complied and drew the teen a map. She'd really come a long way with her magic and Eda was glad to hear it. "He didn't stand a _chance_ ," she quickly interjected with a thumb's up. 

"Heck yeah, he didn't. After that, the rest of the guards were easy to take out," Luz admitted with a smirk. 

"You guys should've seen her," King yelled. "She took down guard after guard. She was on _fire_!" 

"Aw, thanks, King." Luz said. "It wasn't hard to find where they were holding Eda. My magic wasn't strong enough to free her, and...I really thought we'd lost." The teen swallowed thickly. "I was gonna leave and destroy the portal, but then Lilith came in. I-" 

"Tried to kill me in return," Lilith said for the teen with a hint of amusement. "What did you say when I told you I wanted to talk? 'Talk to the glyph, witch'?" 

Eda burst into a fit of laughing. She'd missed her kid telling Lilith off, pity. She would have loved to see that before she was faced with what was almost her fate. 

Luz blushed, scratching the back of her head. "I was pretty angry," she defended. 

"She was seething in grief and fury," Lilith clarified. "She didn't hesitate to attack me for what I'd done and I couldn't blame her." 

"You should know better than to mess with anyone that's _my_ apprentice," Eda said, wiping a tear from her eye. 

"Anyway," Luz continued, clearing her throat, "we fell through the portal and into the Human Realm. My magic doesn't work there, so Lilith pinned me down..." 

Eda glared at her sister, prepared to hurt the witch if Luz's next words were upsetting in any way. 

"...and she told me why she cursed Eda when they were younger. There was a competition to see which one was going to join the Emperor's Coven and Lilith knew she sucked compared to Eda and decided to cheat by using a spell. She thought it was just for a day, but she was wrong, obviously. Eda forfeited and got cursed for nothing 'cause Lilith doesn't know how to communicate with her sister." 

"You stink," Willow said to Lilith. 

"Did you really curse your own _sister_?" Amity asked, shocked. 

Lilith nodded solemnly. "I did." 

"What the heck?" Gus asked. "You could've just _talked_ to her." 

Eda was glad to know that she wasn't the only who felt Lilith had gone a little overboard in her reasoning to curse her in the past. If it weren't for Lily's passion to join the coven so bad, Eda would have carried through with the duel and claimed her spot. At the time of the fight, Eda _had_ wanted to join the coven, but her curse made sure that _never_ happened. She supposed she would always be wary of Lilith, especially around Luz. She would never forget the fear in Luz's eyes as she plummeted to her death. 

"So, Lilith gave me Owlbert as a sign that she was on our side and we went back through the portal. We realized too late that Belos had lured us into a trap and King and Lilith were taken away from me." 

"They threw us into the cage with Eda," King informed. "Eda tried to kill Lilith, and I stopped her to explain she was a good guy now. But that's about it." 

"Oh...okay. Well, after the two of you got taken away, Emperor Belos and I began to fight." 

"Wait, _what_!?!?!" Willow shouted. Everyone but Eda sat up, staring at the teen in surprise. 

"How?" Gus asked. "He's the most powerful witch alive! Sorry, Eda." 

Eda shrugged. "Not for long, he isn't." Beside her, Amity began to hyperventilate. "Hey," she said softly to the teen, "she's alright. No need to panic. The next time I see him, the Isle's will have to plan to bury the first and last emperor." She placed a comforting hand on the teen's shoulder. Amity nodded and began to even out her breathing. "That's better." 

Luz calmed Willow and Gus before continuing. "He's actually pretty scary. There were a lot of moments I barely missed a spell that could've killed me. But, just when he thought I was down for the count, I got him!" The teen dug into her short's pocket before pulling out an odd rectangular object. "I hit his mask with an ice spell and cracked his mask. I know he's not an all-powerful being and I'm sure we can take him down next time. But...I didn't beat him. He wanted a special door in exchange for Eda, so I rigged it to explode once he sent me on my way. You should have seen how angry he was!" 

The guilt of having cost Luz her way home wormed it's way back up to the surface. Eda clutched at the couch cushion as Luz looked a little sad. She'd make it up to Luz, no matter what. 

"After that, I destroyed the weird petrification thing and Eda stopped turning to stone. Then, we flew back home and Lilith did one good thing by sharing the curse she'd caused. And now, here we are, resting." 

The group sat in shock. Luz had just breezed through her fight with Belos as if it were little more than a game of grudgby. 

"So...Lilith and Emperor Belos _both_ tried to kill you and you're just...cool now?" Amity asked. 

"Eh...Lilith's...okay," Luz said, shooting a glance at the mentioned witch. "But Emperor Belos, no. He probably wants me dead for real now." 

Eda gulped. They were certainly in more danger than before and Luz, though stronger, was still pretty fragile compared to the inhabitants of the Boiling Isles. The teen probably had a bigger bounty on her head than Eda did. They were gonna need a bigger frame for _that_ wanted poster. However, Eda did appreciate that Luz didn't tell the others that she'd lost her powers. They really didn't need that to get back to Belos or any other coven members. Eda looked over at Gus as he patted her arm. "What's up, kid?" 

He looked up at her with wide eyes. "What about you? What happened after you got kidnapped by Lilith?" 

If all the terrible moments were replaying her mind, she would have laughed at how all the kids were ignoring Lilith or blaming her. "Um..." Where to start? Watching her sister curse her over and over and over and over again? Belos threatening Luz's safety before having her dragged away? Saying 'goodbye' to Luz for what she thought would be the last time? Or the pain of having your body slowly turn to stone for the enjoyment of others? "It was...pretty terrible," she admitted with a sigh. King came over, resettling in her lap. She held him close, looking off into the distance. "There's not much to say about it. I got some answers, and I got some questions. But I'm fine now, so everything will be alright." There was no way she was going to burden any of them with her problems. They were just kids and already they'd dealt with things they shouldn't have had to. "I'm sure Luz needs more hugs though," she suggested. 

"I'm always down for more hugs," Luz agreed, accepting a hug from Willow and Gus.

Eda stood up, stretching with a groan. She barely stifled a yawn as Luz made her way over to Amity, taking her mentor's spot. "I'll be right back, just need some apple blood, 'kay?" 

"Okay," Luz acknowledged. The kids talked quietly amongst themselves as Lilith followed Eda to the kitchen. 

"Everything alright, sister?" 

Eda spared a glance over at the kids. "I'll be alright later," she answered quietly. "Why do you ask?" 

Lilith stepped closer, hands clasped together. "Why didn't answer that young boy's question?"

Eda fought down the anger that reared its head within. "I don't know, _sister_. Maybe it's the fact that Luz and I have had to stare down death more than once in, what, _two days_!" Lilith flinched at the harsh whisper aimed at her. The younger witch inhaled deeply, pushing her anger aside for the moment. "Look, they're just kids. If Luz chooses to confide in them about everything that happened with her, that's fine. But I will _not_ put my problems on the shoulders of teens. You should have kept it between us, but instead, you dragged Luz into this mess. Belos has his eyes set on her and we are _defenseless_ to stop him." 

"Why do you think I was so upset that she went to Bonesburough on her own?" Lilith shot back. 

"Going into town isn't a problem for her right now. She's got a lot of allies in town that would help her, just like the monster that bought the syrup for her. It's the coven members that Belos will send _here_ that concern me." 

"What about the house demon?" 

"Hooty's good, but he can only take on so many before we're overrun. We don't have a choice but to help Luz find new glyphs and relearn magic from her," Eda argued. "And then, we have the whole curse issue that needs addressing." 

"What do you mean?" 

"We don't know if we're going to transform or not, so we need to be prepared for that." 

"Do you think elixir would help?" 

"I don't _know!_ You're the one who cursed me. Didn't you read anything?" 

Lilith grimaced. "...No, I didn't. I sorta...just placed it on you as soon as I found it." 

"You're kidding." Lilith shook her head. "Ugh, you're the _worst_." 

"Eda," Luz called from the living room. 

"What now?" Eda sighed to herself. Not waiting for Lilith, the gray-haired witch made her way to her apprentice. 

"Willow, Gus, and Amity are leaving," Luz informed with a smile. 

"Okay..." Eda put her hands on her hips to look at the teens. Gus opened his arms and hugged Eda tightly, before stepping back. Eda smiled at the gesture, accepting Willow's hug next. Amity rubbed the back of her head nervously, before nervously shuffling forward to give the older witch a side hug. "You know," Eda began, "you could always have your abomination carry you back home. I'd give you a ride back to Blight Manor, but then the Emperor's Coven'll bust your front door in." 

"Oh, no...it's fine. I hadn't thought of that," Amity admitted. She magicked up an abomination large enough to carry her. "See ya, Luz," she said, blushing. 

Luz waved to the others as they walked away from the Owl House. "I think that went well," she said cheerily. 

"Yeah, I think so too," Eda admitted. "And no one destroyed the house in the process!" 

"Where did you find all these kids, Edalyn?" 

"Not me, ask Luz. One day, it's just her. Next thing I know, she brought them in pairs and they stay for tea sometimes." 

"I found my _friends_ at school," Luz informed haughtily. 

Eda rested a hand on her head. "Okay, okay. Let's not make me regret my words so soon," the witch teased. "I know things are a bit rocky right now, but we need to find a way to deal with everything calmly. I know you have every reason to be mad at her, but we need each other to stay safe. Okay?" 

"Fine," the teen agreed with a pout. "But she has to do my chores for a week." 

"Sure thing," Eda agreed. "Lilith, you'll be doing Luz's chores for more than a week though." 

"What? You can't do that." 

"I can, I have, and you _will_ ," Eda said. "You got us in this mess, you're gonna do your share of cleaning up." 

Lilith groaned. "This isn't fair. She said _one_ week!" 

"My house, my rules." Eda smirked. "A warning, though, Hooty likes to roll around in the mud in his free time." She stuck out her tongue, pulling at her left eyelid in the process. 

"Edalyn," Lilith scolded. "We are _not_ children anymore." Eda continued to stick out her tongue. Lilith lunged at her sister playfully. Eda spared her a chuckle, but Luz panicked and shoved the dark-haired witch away from her mentor. 

Eda and Lilith immediately stopped their teasing and stared at the girl. "Luz?" Eda asked cautiously. She hadn't taken the teen's protective nature into consideration. The young witch had turned to the side, hiding her face from the two. 

"There was no need to push me, _human_ ," Lilith said, smoothing out her top. 

" _Lilith_ ," Eda growled. "What did we talk about?" 

"She pushed me!" 

"She thought you were trying to hurt me. It's perfectly reasonable for her to think that," Eda explained. 

"Why would I hurt you after everything I've given up to prove otherwise?" 

Eda pinched the bridge of her nose. Luz had stayed eerily silent as if she were considering her next move. "Don't you need to find a room to claim for your own?" the witch asked her sister. 

Lilith looked between the two before releasing a long sigh. "Yes, I do. Call me down for supper." 

"Of course." Eda waited until Lilith had gone back upstairs before moving closer to Luz. She moved slowly, speaking softly. "It's okay. We weren't really fighting." She heard a sniffle as small shoulders slightly shook. The older witch placed a comforting hand on the girl's back. Luz turned, pulling her mentor in for a hug. 

"I'm sorry, I panicked," she mumbled with a shaky voice. 

"Hey, you don't have to apologize. Everything's okay. Lilith and I just like to rough house a bit every now and then. I'll try not to do that around you too often." Luz didn't release her. Eda stroked her head, remembering that it tended to calm the girl. "Is there something else you wanna talk about? I'm not really good at this stuff, but I can listen if that's what you need." 

The teen remained still for a moment longer before nodding her head. She stepped back, looking down at her feet. Eda took her hand and pulled her to the couch, sitting down. Luz sat down, rubbing her left arm. "I know she helped free you and split the curse, but she still makes me on edge," the teen admitted. "When she gets too close to you and me, I get all panicky." 

Eda understood all too well what the teen was referring to. She'd had the same feeling after her first few transformations. She was always on edge wondering if the curse was going to take over and cause any harm or damage to nearby people. It made it hard for her to sleep until she'd found out about the elixir. "That's totally understandable, kid. You've gone through something traumatic and it's shaken you up a bit. You don't have to keep that to yourself if you don't want to." Eda took a leap. "You know, hearing what all you did just to rescue me, it scared me. It made me realize just how bad it was for you. You should have never been dragged into Lilith's and my mess. I can't do anything to change that now, but...I don't want you to take on all that responsibility by yourself." 

Luz looked up at her. "Can I tell you something, promise not to worry too much?" 

Eda smiled, patting the space between them. Her girl needed comforting and she would provide it. 

Luz smiled, moving closer so she could lean against Eda. "Fighting Belos really, _really_ scary." 

"Can _I_ tell you something?" Luz nodded, still staring at Eda. "I was scared too. Belos, he threatened to go after you and I knew I wouldn't be able to protect you if he did." 

"When did he do that?" 

"After I was captured." 

"You didn't say that." 

"I didn't want anyone to worry. Just like you don't want anyone to worry. But Luz, I'll always be worried about your safety. You're not just some human to me, you're family." 

Luz smiled, wide and happy. "You're my family too, Eda." 

Eda smiled back at her, holding the girl tightly. "Now, about Lilith. If you're not comfortable with her around you, I'll tell her to keep her distance." 

The teen mulled over the offer. "No," she said, shaking her head. "What you said earlier was right. We need to stick together in case Emperor Belos or his coven come after us." 

"When did you get so grown up?" Eda teased carefully. 

"After I got an awesome teacher," Luz said with a laugh. "It'll take some getting used to, but eventually it'll get better right." 

"If done properly, yes. Just let us know if we make you uncomfortable and we'll stop. It's just a sibling thing, y' know." 

Luz shook her head. "I don't have any siblings so I wouldn't know." 

"Oh, huh. Well, siblings like to mess with each other. Play pranks, playfully hit each other, that sort of thing. It can't be helped if I'm honest. We naturally bicker and fight." 

"If you're sure she's not trying to really hurt you..." 

"I'm sure. And remember, we're both pretty much powerless, so no fight to the death," Eda joked. 

Luz's smile fell. 

"Hey, you're the teacher, remember. Now you can play favorites!" 

"Oh yeah, I _am_!" Luz instantly perked up. "Can we have a lesson right now?" 

"I'm not doing anything else," Eda pointed out. 

The teen squealed. "I'll be _right_ back!" She ran out of the living room and up the stairs. 

King poked his head out from the kitchen before running over. Eda picked him up, setting him on the couch with her. "I heard _everything_ ," he informed. 

Eda frowned. "That was a _private_ moment." 

"I _know_ but it explains why Luz didn't go near your room this morning. She didn't want to run into Lilith, but she was worried about you." 

"Huh, I wondered why nobody woke me up." 

"Well, we figured you'd be tired. I thought Luz would be too, but she was up before me." 

"What was she doing?" 

"She was staring at the piece of mask she got from Emperor Belos. I didn't sleep with her last night, but it looked like she hadn't slept much," the demon informed. The sound of Luz's returning footsteps alerted the two. "Well, just thought you should know that. I'm gonna go through some of the human junk for something to give to her. For her party, y' know." He hopped off the couch before Eda could respond and scurried past the teen. 

The older witch noted how much better Luz looked now that they'd talked. She didn't like the somber side this ordeal had brought out in her. Now, the witch wondered if Luz was suffering from new nightmares. She wouldn't blame the girl. Facing Belos was no laughing matter. She still felt the dread his presence brought. 

"Ready?" Luz asked, bringing Eda out of her thoughts. She sat on the ground with her materials and moved the table closer to the couch. 

Eda moved to the floor without any protest and rested her back against the couch. She placed her hands on the tabletop with a smile. "Ready, teach," she responded, echoing Luz's earlier nickname for her. 

Luz laid out a pre-drawn light glyph and blank sheet of paper. She handed her former mentor a pencil. "Redraw it," she instructed. 

Eda stared at the glyph before doing her best to copy the image. 

"Now, touch it with intent." 

Eda glanced at Luz's expectant face before hitting the paper like she had before. She watched as the yellowed-page folded in on itself and formed a ball of light. She felt like teen again, performing her first spell after Lilith's careful instruction. Perhaps it was the curse, but Eda couldn't look away from the orb, smiling to herself. It was small and nothing compared to the large light displays Luz had been known to do, but it still filled Eda with joy. She still had magic, she'd just have to work at it all over again. The older witch was thrilled to see that there was still so much that she didn't know and could still learn at her age. 

Luz shook her shoulders lightly. "You did it!" She encouraged enthusiastically. "All you gotta do is keep using the glyph and play around with the design in little ways to manipulate it." 

"It's pretty neat, I'll admit that," Eda said. "What's next?" 

"Just keep redrawing it until you've memorized it. The more you practice, the stronger it gets," the teen informed. She drew the light glyph before slapping it. It was brighter than Eda's and lasted just a tad bit longer. "See?" 

"Yeah," Eda admitted, proud of the teen's skills. "How much paper do you have?" 

"A lot," Luz informed, sliding a tall stack of over a thousand sheets of paper. 

"Well, how about this? You go get some rest on the couch and I'll practice right here. If I have any questions, I'll wake you up," Eda offered. Luz raised an eyebrow. "Just a little nap. You must be tired from cooking and telling everybody what happened." 

The teen rubbed an eye. "Well, I _am_ kinda sleepy. A little nap won't hurt before we eat supper, right?" 

"Right," Eda confirmed. She watched as Luz yawned before plopping down on the couch, her cape becoming a makeshift pillow. Within minutes, the teen was softly snoring. Eda waited to see if she was having a bad dream before turning back to the papers. She drew the glyph carefully in each instance and played around with the size of the glyph. She learned that changing the order of how she drew the glyph would render it useless. She was impressed that Luz had learned this all on her own and in one night no less. The girl never ceased to amaze her. Focused on her task, Eda continued on, determined to master this spell so she could move on to the next one. 

She realized that her and Luz would have to take trips around the island to find new glyphs, as risky as that was. But Eda would find a way to be strong enough to protect her family from Belos and his airhead followers. But really, Eda was just glad that Luz was finally getting some sleep. She didn't want the child to have a poor mental state because of everything that happened. Luz shifted behind her, her hand resting on Eda's head. She mumbled something in Spanish before pulling her hand back and resting it under her cheek. Eda waited to see if she was having a nightmare before cleaning up her scraps. She needed to start supper before Luz woke back up. Eda took her red cloak and covered the teen with it and brushed a few stray locks out of her face. Giving the sleeping girl one more glance, Eda entered the kitchen to make something to nourish the girl and get her back on her feet. Taking a deep breath, the witch set aside her problems to resume providing for the little family she'd found for herself. And, if you were to ask why she chopped the vegetables a little more aggressively, it most definitely was because she'd carved little images of Belos' face.


	9. Luz Has Two (2) Moms, Don't Change My Mind

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Eda and Luz bond. Lilith and King gang up on Eda. That's it, that's the chapter.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wonder if Luz is gonna have to choose always going to school or traveling around with Eda to look for new glyphs. Also, thanks to Dana's AMA on Reddit the other day, we know that Lilith is 2 years older than Eda and that Eda is in her mid to late forties. King has no known age and we can expect P. A. I. N., so there's that to look forward to. Hope you enjoyed it!

The house had quickly become littered with crumpled up papers to the point that King made a paper ball snow demon army. Eda had spent her morning trying to master the plant and fireball spells Luz had left her after supper a few nights prior. Lilith was the only other person up as Eda tried for the umpteenth time to grow one stupid flower. _How the heck does Luz do this? It would be easier just to punch the baddie at this point._ Lilith plopped down on the sofa, peering over at her younger sister in amusement. Eda growled as the glyph failed to work again. 

"What are you _doing_?" The dark-haired sister asked with a smirk. In her hands, she held a steaming cup of witch's brew. 

Eda balled the paper up, adding it to the pile she'd started making for King half an hour ago. "I am _trying_ to grow plants." 

"Oh! I thought you were trying to draw an upside-down picture of a sad cyclops," Lilith admitted with a chuckle. "Why don't you just wait until the hum-, I mean, _Luz_ wakes up?" 

"My glyph is _that_ bad! Besides, I don't want to wait until she's awake. I'm an adult, I can figure it out myself." 

"Yes, Edalyn, you're an adult. _But_ , this is an entirely different kind of magic. Leave it to the girl to teach you. She seems really keen on the idea, don't you think?" 

Eda chewed the inside of her cheek. "I know that she wants to teach me, but we don't know when Emperor Belos is going to send an army after us. She attacked him after all, he's not going to just let that slide." 

"That's true, but we don't need you accidentally hurting yourself. I don't know how to care for a teenager." 

"Didn't you work with that young girl that likes Luz? Amity, I think." 

"What about her?" 

"Well, you mentored her. Surely that helped you understand that kids need a lot of attention. Luz needs _constant_ surveillance or people like you kidnap her and throw her off bridges." 

Lilith grimaced. "Yes, I mentored Amity, but that was all that there was to it. The relationship between you and Luz goes deeper than a normal mentor-apprentice bond. And I apologized for that!" 

"No, you apologized for _cursing_ me, not almost killing my kid! I mean, honestly, I should have known you know nothing about kids after you tried to impale Luz." 

"What does being a mentor have to do with the human's safety? They're almost indestructible!" 

"No they're _not_! Who told you such nonsense? Humans are fragile beings and my human is named Luz, so stop calling her 'human' like she's a wild animal." Eda found herself standing, pointing a sharp nail at her sitting sister. If Lilith wasn't careful, she was going to find out how much Eda worked out to outrun the cops. She stopped talking when she noticed that Lilith had opened her mouth in shock. 

"Wait! Humans can't reattach their limbs?" 

"No." 

"Don't they know how to heal themselves?" 

"NO!" Eda dragged a hand across her face. "If you crush, cut, burn, or drop from a human from a tall height, that human will _die!_ They're not like us. Geez!" 

"Wha...But, she can _do_ magic. How can she do magic if she can't fix herself as we do?" 

"I don't know, I'm not a human. All I know is Luz has told me that the things I listed can severely hurt her. From now on, be careful around her like she's a newborn baby that likes to get into perilous situations." 

"Edalyn, if I had known, I would have _never_ put her in harm's way." 

"I seriously doubt that." 

"I'm serious!" 

"You did all that just to get me to use up my magic. There was no guarantee that there would have been enough magic to save Luz. You could have just dueled me here, but instead, you took her and said it was for _my_ best." 

"Okay, fine. I would have still used her to get to you, but I wouldn't have thrown her over the side of the bridge. I thought Emperor Belos was going to _heal_ you, not petrify you. If it weren't for Luz, I would have lost you for good." 

"Lily, this isn't about me and my curse anymore. I can forget about that when it comes to Luz. You put an innocent kid in danger because you couldn't own up to your mistake. Do you even know how badly I wanted to kill you because of what you did? How I wanted to hurt you for hurting Luz? You can _never_ understand how your actions have left both of us with scars." 

"I didn't harm either of you," Lilith defended. 

"Not _physically_ , but...nevermind. Stop calling Luz a human or I _will_ throw you out."

Lilith took a step back from her sister. "It slipped out." 

"Say it again and your tongue will follow," Eda threatened. There was a soft knock on the wall by the doorway to the staircases. The two sisters looked over to find Luz peeking out from the corridor. She eyed the two before stepping out and walking over to Eda. 

"Good morning," she greeted the Owl Lady. 

"Good morning, Luz," Lilith said to the teen with a small smile. 

Luz glanced over at her. "Hey," she responded before turning back to the sister she preferred. 

Eda looked at the outfit Luz was wearing. "Where do you think you're going, young lady?" 

"To school," the teen responded, fetching her school bag from behind the couch. 

"No, you're not," the graying witch informed. She started to try and magic the bag away from the girl and groaned in frustration. "Luz, you _can't_ go to Hexside. We don't know if Emperor Belos has his lackeys waiting for you." 

"Principal Bump said it would be safe for me to go. Remember? He said that it was a safe place for both of us." 

"We don't know how safe it is yet," Lilith added. "Perhaps you should ask one of your little friends to scout the area for this week." 

Eda considered the idea for a moment. "That's not a bad idea. Ask your friends to keep an eye out for coven members. If there aren't any for a whole week, I'll consider letting you go back." 

"But, Eda..." 

"Luz, this isn't up for debate. I can't do anything to get you out of trouble if they snatch you up." Blood began to rush in the witch's ears. It was the same fear and anxiety that she'd felt when she realized Lilith had taken Luz hostage. She'd never forgive herself if something happened to the teen because she wasn't more cautious. 

Luz crossed her arms, huffing in defeat. "What am I supposed to _do_ then?" 

"Edalyn's having trouble with one of your little glyphs," Lilith informed her with a smirk. 

" _Lilith!_ " 

"She didn't want to ask you for help because she's always been a little stubborn. She's been stuck on it since you gave her the spell. It reminds me of when you used to lock yourself in your room for _days_ to learn a new spell." 

"Hey, I can figure it out myself! I just gotta figure out what I'm messing up," Eda grumbled. She kicked a paper ball across the floor. "I haven't had enough apple blood for this." 

Luz shrugged. "We can work on it if you want to. Maybe I just need to demonstrate how to draw it for you. Sometimes, they're really picky." She pulled out a blank sheet of paper from a pile of scattered sheets. "It took me a little bit too. King wasn't much help either." The teen sat on the floor and quickly sketched the glyph. Eda watched the order of each shape and how precisely it was placed on the sheet. Luz tapped the page, a single rose growing from the center of the glyph. 

"Is _that_ what you've been trying to make this entire time, Edalyn?" Lilith began to laugh, holding her sides. 

Eda growled. "I'd like to see you try and grow a flower." 

Lilith took a sheet of paper, drawing the glyph in record speed. She slapped the sheet of paper, a smug look on her face. 

Nothing happened. 

Lilith frowned, slapping the sheet again. She gritted her teeth, using more force to slap the paper resting on the table until her palm was a bright red. "Work!" 

Eda laughed at her, dancing in her spot. "Oh, yeah. What did _I_ tell you? You can't do it either," she said, sticking her tongue out at her older sister. 

"It's not a competition, you guys," Luz interrupted. 

"Yes it is," the sisters responded simultaneously. 

Luz shivered at how in-sync the two could be at times. "Right, well, I guess I'll just go make me breakfast and call Willow and Gus while the two of you fight." Leaving the two with the mountain of paper and trash, Luz entered the kitchen. 

Eda continued to give her sister the best smug look she could muster. "I'm gonna learn it before you do!~" 

"No you're not. I'll learn it and steal your apprentice from you," Lilith teased. 

"How _dare_ you? You already have your own apprentice." 

The two began to pull faces, mocking each other. King walked in, confusion written on his face. "Is this how you plan to take down the Emperor's Coven? Petty sister rivalry?" 

"Hush, King. This is a fierce form of a battle between two sisters," Eda informed sarcastically. 

"Aw, I don't have a sister," King said sadly. He jerked his head up, "I'll battle Luz then!" He rushed into the kitchen, calling Luz's name excitedly. 

It brought a smile to Eda's face. She liked that the two were more like siblings than she and Lilith were. She turned back to Lilith who was watching her curiously. "What?" 

"It amazes me how motherly you can be." 

"Not _this_ again. I don't have any kids." 

Lilith continued to stare at her with an amused look. 

Eda crossed her arms. "How?" 

"How what?" 

"How am I motherly when I've never had a single kid? I don't even _like_ kids." 

Lilith chuckled. "That's now what I've heard. The Bat Queen told a few people that you were wonderful with her kids. Not to mention the fact that you literally took in a teenager from who knows where." 

"Okay. I'll admit I like the Bat Queen's babies. They were nice...and sweet...and they're gonna be great pickpockets one day," Eda said with a hint of nostalgia. "But that's not enough proof for me." 

"Where should I start? You enrolled Luz into Hexside, let her friends come over to what is supposed to be a secret hideout, and then there's the whole 'almost died for her to keep her safe' thing. I wouldn't have done that for my pupil because that's not what a mentor does." 

"Then you're a _terrible_ mentor," Eda told her sister. "Just because I care about Luz and King doesn't make them my honorary kids." 

"I heard about how Luz fought Grom and you watched her from the side. Amity told me that you said you were very proud of her. You also hung up her wanted poster and refer to her as 'your kid' on multiple occasions." 

Eda chewed on the inside of her cheek. _She's got me there,_ the witch thought to herself. "Well, she can't be my kid 'cause she's gotta go home sometime soon." 

"Why?" 

"She's not from here, Lily. She has a _real_ home in the Human Realm. As soon as I find a way to get her home, she's going. It's too dangerous for her here, especially with Belos." Eda ignored the sadness beginning to creep up on her. "That's just how it's gotta be." 

Lilith rested a hand on her shoulder. "You can't fool me, sister. That's not what you really want for her." 

"It doesn't matter what I want. I've gotta do what's best for her." She looked at Lilith who had a knowing look. "Ugh, fine. I've adopted her but I don't have a choice. She's gotta go back before she gets seriously hurt." 

"There we go. That's much better, isn't it?" Lilith patted her little sister's back. "We'll find a way to make the two of you happy, okay?" 

Eda squeezed her other sister's hand, grateful to have someone to confide in that wasn't King. She didn't like to stress the little guy out, it would make him restless. "Alright, enough sappiness for one day. Let's figure out this spell already. I'm starving." 

Lilith nodded and the two resumed drawing the glyph over and over again. On about her 38th try, Eda noticed one _tiny_ little detail she'd missed before. In the triangle that made up the 'flower' portion, there was a line towards the base. Adding it, she slapped the paper and cheered as a beautiful lilac tulip appeared. 

Luz ran out of the kitchen. "Alright, Eda!" The teen gave the older witch a great big hug. "I knew you could do it." 

"Thanks, kid," the older witch responded. "Better luck next time, Lily." 

Lilith shrugged her shoulders. "I wasn't trying with this one. I'll make us breakfast while you clean up your mess." 

"Oh, make my favorite, please!" 

"The two of you are getting along better," Luz mentioned from under Eda's arm. 

The gray-haired witch looked down at her, combing her finger's through the girl's hair. "Yeah, we are a bit. We still fight, but she's more understanding than before." 

"That's good," Luz mumbled, purring with half-closed eyes. 

"When were you going to tell me that you like me playing with your hair more than King likes tummy rubs?" 

Luz chuckled. "It's just really soothing for me," she admitted. "I guess it _is_ kinda like a tummy rub but for humans. Do you like it when King rides in your hair?" 

"Eh, it's alright. It's more for storing stuff than anything else. I don't get what you like about fingers in your hair, but I'm glad it soothes you." 

"Mhmm," Luz hummed. She started to lean forward, almost meeting with the coffee table before Eda caught her. 

"Guess I better stop before you fall asleep, huh?" 

"Noooo," Luz cried. She grabbed the witch's hand, placing it back on her head. 

Eda ruffled her hair. "Come on kid, I need food or _I'm_ gonna pass out." 

"Okay," Luz said dejectedly. She followed Eda into the kitchen and poured a cup of apple blood for her. 

"What is this stuff anyway?" The teen asked, sniffing the red liquid. She wrinkled her nose at the smell. 

Lilith looked at the red substance. "Really, Edalyn? It's far too early to be drinking, don't you think?" 

"It's never too early in my books, Lily," Eda commented before taking a large sip from her mug. "Gotta have it to start my day off right." 

"But what is it?" Luz asked again. 

Eda handed the girl her mug. "Try it. 

"Absolutely not," Lilith interrupted. Before she could take the mug away, Luz took a hesitant sip. 

Luz grimaced, coughing slightly. "Blegh, that stuff's _disgusting_ ," she said with a shiver. 

" _Edalyn Clawthorne_ , your pupil is _too_ young to be drinking adult beverages." 

Luz froze. "Did you just give me _alcohol_?" 

Eda watched the teen in confusion. "What about it?" 

"Oh my _gosh!_ Lilith's right, I'm too young for that stuff." Luz covered her mouth in shock. 

"You humans don't drink or what?" 

"We have an age limit for drinking. I'm not 21 years old yet, Eda. I could go to jail!" 

Eda laughed. "I think you're forgetting that we don't have that rule here, and we don't have human police either. You'll be fine. You only took a small sip." 

"Eda, you're a danger to society," Lilith added. 

King was laughing the entire time on the kitchen island, thrashing about. "Luz can't drink apple blood. That's so dumb!" 

"King," Luz said with a frown. "Alcohol is bad for humans because it can hurt parts of our body. That's why we have to be older to actively make that decision. It can also make humans do dangerous and odd things that can hurt them or others." 

"Don't worry, Luz," Lilith said seriously. "You will _not_ be tricked into drinking any other such substances. We don't know much about humans, so you'll have to forgive us." 

Luz looked at all three people in the kitchen. "I mean, I know I can't get in trouble, but I don't want any of that stuff either. My mom likes to drink from time to time too, but she does it at night." 

"Eda, start drinking when the girl isn't around," Lilith ordered. 

"This is _my_ house. I drink all the time and nothing bad has happened so far." 

Lilith gave her a look. 

"Some bad things have happened, but they were _never_ my fault. They were yours." 

"It's fine you two. Don't worry." 

Eda shrugged, taking another sip. "Sorry, kid. I should have just told you instead. Now Lilith's acting all high and mighty again." 

Lilith stuck her tongue out at Eda before handing her a plate of purple and blue food. "You should do a little research before you take in humans." 

"You should finish your chores before I add more to them," Eda threatened, spearing a squarish blob of blue. 

Luz stared at the dish. "What is _that_?" 

"It's a homemade dish. It's made from the bits of this giant bug thing," Eda said with a smile. 

Luz grimaced. "Uh, on second thought, I won't ask to try it." 

Eda shrugged. "More for me." After she finished eating, she found Luz and King who had wandered back into the living room. The teen was telling King about some time when she and her group of friends had saved the school from a terrifying basilisk. The older witch had never heard the story and listened raptly to how fearless her kid had been in the face of danger. 

"And then the others woke up. Principal Bump was gonna throw us all out but Gus made him reconsider. He let the rest of the detention track study what they wanted and asked me what _I_ wanted to study. I told him I wasn't sure so he let me study all of them. You should have seen me, I was all _whoosh_ and a twirl. That's why I have all the track colors on my uniform." 

Lilith had been sitting on the sofa, her head cocked to the side. "He _actually_ let you study all tracks?" 

"Yeah!" Luz scratched the back of her head, toeing the carpet. "I found out about Lord Calamity too." 

"Who?" All three audience members asked. 

"Wait, you didn't give yourself that name?" Luz asked, looking at Eda. 

" _Me?_ " Eda asked, placing a hand on her chest. "I mean, I like it, but I didn't have a nickname when I attended Hexside." 

"Oh...well, you're royalty to the Detention Track Gang. They used all the secret doors to keep learning in secret," Luz informed. 

Eda smiled brightly. "You _found_ the secret doors!?!?!?" Eda couldn't help the rush of excitement that rushed through her. Oh, those doors! She missed sneaking in between classes to prank people and to learn new things. "Wait, _Detention_ Track? There ain't no dang Detention Track!" 

Luz grinned sheepishly. "You missed me telling the first half of the story." 

Eda went over to sit next to her sister. She crossed her arms and legs, fixing Luz with a stare. "Then you'll just have to tell it again." 

"Just tell her the important bits, dear," Lilith suggested. 

"Okay, um...Principal Bump wanted me to pick a track and I couldn't decide 'cause they sounded so cool. So, he just stuck me in the Potion's Track." 

Eda sat up straighter. First the locker, now the Potion's Track. It seems Principal Bump guessed that Luz would have been more like her when she was younger and was just doing a repeat. Lilith nudged her shoulder, bringing the gray-haired witch back to the present. 

"All I did was touch the crystal ball and then, next thing I know, Principal Bump is leading me to the Detention Track room. My uniform turned black and he wasn't gonna let me learn _any_ magic! That's where I met these three super cool kids that showed me the room with the secret doors. Inside, there was this picture frame but it was covered in a bunch of paint 'n stuff with writing. I kinda upset them, so they threw me out and that's when I found out about the basilisk. I battled it with Willow, Gus, and the Detention Track Gang. Then, Bump let us choose our track." 

Eda was a bit lost but got the gist. "So who the heck is Lord Calamity?" 

"Really, Edalyn? It's obviously you. Your school portrait that you removed and hid is now in the room with the secret doors," Lilith explained rather bluntly. 

_Oh! The kids after me named me that. Huh, that's kinda badass._ "How was _I_ supposed to know that? Luz said it was covered and she couldn't tell who it was." 

"Oh, about that," Luz said. "Principal Bump removed the paint for everyone to see. You were so _young!_ " 

Eda blushed. "Stop," she laughed. "I forgot I put that picture there. I'm surprised Bumpykins knew it was there this entire time." She mused on the knowledge that the room of secret doors continued to serve kids like her to this very day. 

"Don't encourage your _kid_ to be a vagrant like you," the older sister chastised. 

"Luz, I just want you to know that if you ever want to be a wanted criminal like me, I'll support you," Eda jokingly told the teen. 

Playing along, Luz added. "Someday, I'll be more wanted than you. I already attacked the emperor, what more do I gotta do to get a bounty as big as yours?" 

"Oh, kid! I've done so many things and you just jumped _straight_ to the attempted assassinations of a coven leader and the emperor. They grow up so fast, Lily." Eda pretended to wipe her eye, laying across Lilith's lap in faux despair. 

Lilith looked down at her. "I'm being serious. She's as reckless as you were." She looked over at the teen. "You joke about wanting a higher bounty. Well, guess what, you do." 

Eda sat up quickly. "What do you mean?" 

Lilith pulled a scroll out from under the couch. "I found this in the town the other day on my way home from the market." She unrolled the parchment to reveal the image of Luz in her cape holding Eda's staff. For Eda's wanted poster, she had four sets of zero's. On Luz's, she had _six_ sets of zero's and the added message of 'dead or alive' underneath. "Attacking the emperor was a bad idea." 

"I didn't have a choice," Luz reminded, "someone had to save Eda. I wasn't just going to let him kill her." 

"Okay, okay. Everybody calm down. What happened couldn't be helped and I am very grateful for everyone becoming a wanted criminal for my sake. There's no need to get angry and have a second fight," Eda told her sister. "Luz has more magic than the both of us, so chill out for a sec." 

Luz didn't say anything, but she didn't look any less upset. "Do I get to hang that up in my room?" The teen finally asked, looking off to the side with a slight blush. 

Eda smiled. She'd really rubbed off on the kid. "Yes, we can hang this one up in your room. As soon as I find a way to get a _much_ bigger one, we'll put that one up over the fireplace and across from mine." 

Luz squeed, running over to hug Eda. "Thanks so much!" 

"Hey," Eda said, brushing some hair out of the teen's eyes, "you earned it, kiddo!" She found herself smiling back just as widely as the young girl was, patting her head softly. 

"You're _really_ going to reward such behavior?' 

King wiggled his way in between Eda and Luz, quietly demanding tummy rubs from one of them. Eda looked away to address her sister. "Why not? The kid's actions are commendable. How many teens do you know who are willing to risk facing the emperor for an old lady?" 

"Oh, do be quiet, Edalyn. If you're old, I'm ancient." Lilith let out a sigh. "But you are right. I don't know anyone who would do that for me." 

"Well, before _everything_ , I would have. Now, I might take my time doing it," the gray-haired sister joked. "What d'ya say, Luz? Do we save Lilith if she gets caught by Belos?" 

The teen pondered for a moment, tapping a finger on her chin like she was deep in thought. "Do I get to wear my cape again?" 

"It's your cape. Wear it whenever you want to. I won't tell you 'no'." 

"You never really tell her 'no'," Lilith mumbled. 

"Maybe," Luz said, ignoring Lilith. "I'd have to see if I have school that day." 

"You little stinker," Eda said with a chuckle. "I guess we'll have to get back with you on that Lily." 

"I'm not surprised," she admitted with a small smile. "If I have a wanted poster, do I get to hang it up too?" She asked sheepishly, looking over at the large poster of her younger sister. 

"Sure, why not? It's practically a rite of initiation now." Eda wrapped an arm around Luz who was whispering something to King. "Did you see any in the town for yourself? If you did, you should have taken it too." 

"I didn't," Lilith admitted. 

King crawled off of Eda's lap and onto Lilith, wrapping himself around her head. "Luz said that, because I'm in Eda's poster, I have to be in yours too." 

Lilith did her best not to throw him off reflexively. "Wha...I, I guess. Eda?" 

Eda had turned to see where Luz had gone before answering her sister. "Sure, whatever. I don't care. Why don't you take King for a walk to the slayground in Bonesburough? Maybe look for your own poster while you're at it." 

"Didn't we just say we need to be careful?" 

"You're just going out for a bit. King needs a change of scenery or he'll get all fidgety. Right, King?" 

He nodded, gripping Lilith's hair tighter. "Onwards. Your king demands it." 

"You'll be fine. Get me some more apple blood too." 

Lilith groaned, standing up slowly so as not to drop the demon riding on her shoulders. "I'll be back in an hour." 

"Byeeeee~!" Eda turned away after the door closed. _Now, where did Luz go?_ She looked in the kitchen and found it empty. Then she checked the teen's room and found it had been cleaned for the first time since she'd moved in. She knocked on the bathroom door and received no response there. Eda checked her room, the weaponry, the spare rooms, and the shed. The witch was beginning to panic. She looked around the treelines and still didn't spot the brightly colored teen. "Luz?" 

No answer. 

"LUZ!" Panic had finally taken over as the witch entered the dark woods. In her panic-crazed mind, Eda began to look under fallen leaves as she frantically did a perimeter sweep of the forest surrounding the Owl House. She was just about to run into town when she heard footsteps behind her. 

"Eda?" 

"Luz! Where did you go? I've been looking all over for you." Eda wanted to sink to the ground in frustration. Humans were such slippery things. 

"Oh, sorry." The teen was shocked as Eda pulled her into a tight hug. "Am I in trouble?" 

"Why would you be in trouble? Just tell me where you're going next time," Eda told her. Her heart was still trying to escape her chest. Not to mention the fact that she'd begun to worry that the Emperor's Coven had snatched her up. 

"I'm really sorry Eda. I didn't mean to worry you. I just went to go look for some new glyphs around the house." 

Eda let her go, stepping back to look at her. "Oh, well...just let me know next time. Really had me worried there." She cleared her throat and fixed her hair that had really gotten out of control during her search. "So, did you find any?" 

Luz grabbed her hand, pulling the older woman with her. "I didn't, but come look at this view. It's _beautiful!_ " They emerged on a cliffside not far from the house to see the sun hitting the water _just_ right to make the Boiling Sea a deep, lovely violet. 

This wasn't the first time she'd seen the sea from this cliff, but Eda had never seen the water this beautiful before. She watched as Luz plopped down onto the grass and away from the edge. Eda walked over and joined her, watching the waves crash into the shores to the side. "You're right, Luz. This is really...breathtaking," she said, releasing a sigh that carried the weight off her shoulders. 

Luz leaned up against Eda, taking a strand of the woman's hair and braiding it. "I know you're worried about Belos and the rest of his bad guys coming after me, so when I found this, I knew I had to show you. You haven't had a moment to just rest and breath since we got back. I told King to distract Lilith so you get out of the house for a little bit without having to worry about me and her having any fights." 

Eda looked down at the young girl as she suppressed a yawn. "It's not that I don't trust you. I just don't trust anyone else other than your friends. And even then, Amity's family works with Belos. You both put each other in danger if you're seen together. I'm not saying that they can't come over anymore, they just need to be more careful to make sure they're not being followed. You kids mean a lot to me and it's not because you all stuck your necks out for me." 

"I know," Luz said, letting the braid fall from her hand. "You're such a great person. Even though you don't know them that well, I know you'd take care of them like you would me." 

When had Luz become such an understanding kid? Looking at her now, Eda wondered how badly everything was going to affect her. When she returned to the Human Realm, would her mother know how to handle a kid who'd stared death in the face more times than she could count? Did she know that Luz would instantly calm down if you played with her hair? Or the fact that this was a brilliant young woman in the making? Did her mother appreciate her daughter's uniqueness for what it was? Maybe not if she planned to normalize her daughter by sending her away. It reminded her of Lilith jumping to such a grand conclusion of 'I know what's best for you' and doing damage that would take years to heal, if that was even possible. Taking her new braid into her weathered hands, Eda examined the tidy craftmanship. 

"What's wrong? Do you not like it?" Luz asked, fear beginning to creep into her features. 

"No," Eda said softly. "I love it. I've never braided my hair before." 

"Lemme do the other side so it's symmetrical," Luz suggested. She scooted across the ground on her knees until she was on Eda's left side. 

"Luz...what's your mom like?" Eda dared to ask. 

"Huh, oh...she's a bit like Lilith, I guess. She's a 'no-nonsense' kind of person but we love each other a lot. She's a nurse so I don't get to see her often." 

"Do you miss her?" 

"Yeah. I haven't seen her in a couple of months. I messaged her every now and then, but I never called her so it's been a while since I've heard her voice." 

"Does she know you're here and not at...camp?" 

Luz chuckled nervously. "I may have made it seem like I'm at camp and not in some terrifying nightmare demon realm." 

If Eda panicked about not knowing where Luz was for an hour, how would her mother feel when she didn't come home on time? "Luz, you should probably tell her in case you get stuck here longer than just a summer." 

Luz was quiet for a bit, prompting Eda to turn her gaze away from the water and over to the teen. Her eye's seemed a little red, like she was trying not to cry. "I can't..." 

Eda fully turned her head, her half-finished braid slipping through the teen's fingers. "What d'you mean?" 

"Without the door, I can't get any messages through. My phone died last night, so..." 

The stress was beginning to creep back onto Eda's shoulders. "We'll find you some batteries and..." 

Luz shook her head. "Phones don't work that way." 

"Luz, you're mother is going to panic worse than I did just now. We have to find a way to contact her." 

"We can't. I've already talked to Willow and Gus about it. The Boiling Isles doesn't have any of the tech I need to get messages through to her or charge my phone. I'm just going to have to wait until we find another way back to the Human Realm." 

Eda noted the dejected air surrounding the teen. "You should have just gone home, Luz. I wasn't worth it." 

Luz snapped her head up, hot tears prickling her eyes. "Don't say that. I made my choice, just like you made yours. This isn't your fault, it's Belos' and mine." 

"You're just a kid, Luz. You shouldn't have had to make that decision. We shouldn't worry about learning magic; we should be looking for a portal to get you back home." 

"Eda, no. You need magic to survive here. You...you said it yourself. Without magic, you can't do anything. Magic first, Human Realm second." 

" _Luz_..." 

"Eda, right now, you're more important than going back to my mother." 

"She's going to be worried sick if she can't find you." 

"And _I'll_ be worried sick if I leave you anytime soon. You're my family too!" Luz took Eda's right hand, cradling it between both of hers. "You're my family too," she repeated softly. "You're the first adult to accept me for me. Here, in the Boiling Isles, I can be me and I won't be judged for it. I love my mother, but this is feels more like home than back there. I have _friends!_ I have King who's like a little brother. Willow and Gus, who support me know matter what. Amity, who's cool and likes to hang out with me more ever since Grom. And then there's you, who's done more for me in my short time here than any other person I know. You're like a mother to me. The _coolest_ mother a girl could _ever_ ask for! Seriously! If we find a way back, maybe you can visit me sometimes. Come to school plays and see me graduate too. 

Eda didn't know how to respond to that. What words could she say to compete with the teen's? And, did she just say she saw her as a mother figure!?!? _Her?_ A wanted criminal living in the woods, a good role model for one so young and pure? "Luz..." What to say, what to say? If the kid was being this brave with her feelings, then so would she. "Luz, you're a wonderful young lady and if I ever had a kid of my own, I'd want them to be _just_ like you. I don't think you know how proud I am of you. I would love to go to your human events and cheer you on...and to hex those that don't. Just keep being yourself. Don't forget, I'm always here for you when you need me, no matter what." 

Luz hugged her, nodding her head. "Love you," she said, proud and confident. This time, there was no sadness in her voice, the words were pained from practically being a 'goodbye' to the older witch. 

Eda hugged the teen back, holding in a sob. "Love you too, Luz." 

After a long moment, Luz finished the braid she'd started before falling asleep with her head in Eda's lap. The day had been long and tiring for sure. Careful not to wake her, Eda scooped her up and carried her back to the house. She was grateful that her strength was almost completely back so she didn't drop the girl and hurt her. Lilith and King had returned shortly after Luz found Eda and had been chatting since. King appeared to be laying some ground rules down about how to properly punish kids who were mean to him when Eda shooed them off the sofa. She was strong but too old to carry the teen back up the stairs and to her room. She laid Luz down and had King fetch her a pillow and blanket. The evenings were beginning to cool down and Eda didn't want her getting sick. 

"Where were the two of you?" Lilith whispered as Eda placed the pillow under the teen's head. 

"Out," Eda simply responded. She adjusted the blanket and fixed the teen's messy hair as best she could. 

"Thanks, Mom," Luz mumbled, rolling on her side. "G'night." 

Eda froze, staring at the sleeping teen. "Uh..." 

Lilith covered her mouth, doing her best not to laugh at the look on her sister's face. She'd never seen her so frazzled before. "Told you," she wheezed out. 

King 'hehe' ed to the side, scurrying up to Eda and pulling on her dress. She looked down at him, mouth still hanging open. "Can I get a goodnight's kiss, Mom?" He teased quietly. 

"You little..." Eda grabbed the demon and sister, pulling them all the way to her room. "Not a word or I cut your tongues out," she threatened. The damage was done, however, and the two burst out laughing. 

"I guess that makes me an aunt," Lilith managed to get out before laughing harder. 

Eda groaned, falling face first into her nest. "You guys are the _worst_." 

King ran over, climbing into the nest with her. "Congrats! It's a girl," he cheered. "What's her name? Oh wait, it's 'Kid'! Nehehehe," he joked. 

"Could the two of you just give me a moment to accept that I have a kid now?" Eda said, lifting her head to be heard. "I have adopted a human, happy?" 

"Yes," King shouted, grabbing the gray-haired witch's faces with his tiny paws. "And I am your other kid." 

"Fine. Join the line. That's apparently my new business: collecting kids." 

"Better than kidnapping kids," Lilith joked darkly. 

"True," Eda mused. "But I _am_ tired. You can tease me but in private. I don't think she realized what she said and I don't want to make her uncomfortable." 

Lilith and King nodded. "We understand," Lilith said, picking King up. "We'll let you get some rest now. I'll make supper and then we'll wake the two of you up to eat. Rest up. I hear having a kid leaves mothers tired and drained." 

Eda facepalmed. "I get it, okay. I've got a kid, her name is Luz and she's 14 years old. Are you done now?" 

"Yes, sister, I've finished...for the moment." Lilith began to pull the door close. 

"Good night, _mom_ ," King said just as the door closed. 

Eda let out one last groan before covering her face with her hands. She'd have to have a talk with Luz's mother to see if she could be a part of Luz's life after she went home. She could see it now. Luz pulling her into a small house, her real mother sitting at a kitchen table. _Does she look like Luz or different?_ Luz would introduce her and she'd do her best not to act sheepish in the face of what could be her biggest rival yet. Luz's mother might be concerned that her daughter had found a strange old lady and might even pass out when Luz finally explains everything to her. They'd have a private conversation while Luz ran off to get them food from the human market. It would be at this time that Eda would explain how brilliant Luz was and that her mother should be more accepting of her uniqueness. Maybe she wouldn't piss the woman off and be barred from the teen's life. Then again, she could always just kidnap Luz... No, she'd not dupe the kid and break her trust. That meant Eda had to really plead her case. Or, or, Eda could convince her mother to just come live in the Boiling Isles with her if Belos was stopped. 

All of that seemed nice, but...she couldn't rule out the possibility that Belos would capture her again and finish carrying out her execution. Or that Luz wouldn't take her place for her without her even knowing. Maybe Lilith would be the one to deliver Luz back to the Human Realm and watch over the teen if something were to happen to her. Boy, having a kid aged her more than the curse did. She really hoped everything would be alright in the end, but she didn't want to get her hopes up. As much as she joked with Luz about her wanted poster, she was pretty terrified that Belos didn't care if Luz was killed. She must have really ticked him off to warrant such a fate. If it came to that, Eda wouldn't hesitate to put herself between Luz and danger. Eda yawned, sleep weighing her limbs and eyelids down. She needed to start thinking like Luz. _Stay positive. We can get through this and take that asshole down!_ After all, she'd peeked at the bruise on Luz's back and was glad her magic was gone or she might have destroyed the house in a fit of rage. Belos would do more than suffer once she got her hands on him. To have knowingly hurt a kid, there was no greater crime in Eda's eyes. She'd make him howl with pain before she ever succumbed to the curse or death. 

Giving one _great_ big yawn, Eda let her eyes stay closed. She remembered Luz calling her 'mom' again, smiling as sleep whisked her away.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Also, I'll hint at Lilith and King bonding but won't go explicitly into it in future chapters. When it comes to Luz, it'll be more prominent from Eda's POV. Ya girl just wants more bonding moments in S2. Please, Dana, they're my support mother-daughter duo! But at the same time, more of the pain AoaW and YBOS caused.


	10. A Family Can Be Witches, A Human, and A Demon

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The gang comes over and the curse says 'hi.'

A couple of days had passed before Luz was practically climbing the walls in boredom. Eda hated to keep the kid indoors, but she wanted to know if Hexside was safe first. So, as a way of thanking the teen for her patience thus far, Eda contacted her friends. Luz was laying upside down in the living room as Hooty ushered in the group of kids. The teen immediately perked up, rushing over to them to give them a hug with a large grin. 

"What are you guys doing here?" Luz asked, helping Amity over to the sofa. Her broken leg had finished healing, but it was still pretty weak and sore for the teen to walk on. 

"Eda asked us to come over and cheer you up," Gus said, spilling the beans in an innocently charming way. 

Said witch made a hasty retreat to the kitchen to join Lilith and King. "Well, they made it alright. How're those snacks coming along?" She crossed her arms as she watched her sister and best friend move about the room. 

"I don't see why we're going through all this trouble for a few pesky teens," Lilith muttered. 

"Hey, those 'pesky teens' helped us save Eda," King reminded. He was dressed in a cute little chef costume and pointed a wooden spoon at the older witch. 

"That _is_ true...Thank you, King." Lilith scratched the demon behind his right ear, causing his right foot to shake. "Why aren't you out there with them, Edalyn?" 

"They're here for Luz, not me. Besides, I'd rather work on more glyphs while she's distracted. I wanna surprise her with the ice spell like she did with me," Eda informed the two. She had been working hard on the light and plant glyphs and Luz promised her the fireball glyph _after_ she mastered the ice glyph. She had to hand it to the kid, she was more of a mentor than Eda had been at the start. The white-haired woman wanted to show Luz that she took the lessons seriously and was genuinely interested in what was being taught to her. Lilith still had her magic, but it was significantly weaker than before. She was much like Eda had been when the curse first started taking over. Her older sister was beginning to feel the effects with each passing day. 

Yesterday, Lilith had gone to bed before the sun had even set. She'd always been one to sleep early, but that was much too early for any normal person. Eda had begun to really worry when she noticed her sister staring at a metal object that glistened from the firelight from across the room. She'd thrown her slipper to break the trance and sent her to the bathroom to wash her face. What was even more interesting was the fact that Luz didn't seem to notice or care that Lilith seemed different. Eda guessed this was what the kid was like with people who had wronged her and enjoyed the fact that someone so bubbly could be petty too. She wanted to see Luz take that same energy with her when she returned to her home and took on her bullies. 

"Uh, _hello_ ," King said, waving a paw in front of Eda's eyes. 

She shook her head, dispelling her thoughts. "Sorry, what were you saying?" 

"I asked if you really trusted me to be alone with them," Lilith repeated. "They're not exactly fans of mine." 

"True...I guess we'll all be babysitting then." 

"Actually, I thought I might go lie down for a little bit," the dark-haired witch added. "I've been feeling pretty tired lately. I think I just need a power nap and then I'll be down to join all of you." 

"Are you sure you're okay, Lily?" Had the curse progressed this quickly with her when she first had it? 

"I'm fine," Lilith added with a soft smile. "Now, go on. Your kid needs you." 

Eda picked up the platter of snacks and quickly glanced at Lilith. She seemed paler and had a light sheen of sweat on her brow. Perhaps she was coming down with something and it _wasn't_ the curse. But then again, there wasn't a way to be exactly sure _what_ was draining her sister. As much as Eda wanted to get satisfaction from having her sister suffer, it was still her sister and she didn't like the idea of her hurting. "Hey, Luz," Eda said as she set down the platter, "I'm gonna make a quick run into Bonesburough with King. Lilith is upstairs taking a nap so try to keep it down. I'll be right back, okay?" 

Luz nodded, shoving a bright green morsel into her mouth. "Ofkay, Efda," she acknowledged before chewing. She quickly swallowed. "You can count on us!" 

Eda nodded before putting on her red cloak and grabbing her staff. "Come on, King, time for a quick grocery run." 

King climbed into her hair and waited until they were above the treetops to question the witch. "Why're we going into Bonesborough? Isn't it dangerous with you not having magic?" 

"We'll be fine. I just need to buy some elixir in case one of us turns any time soon." 

"Oh, you're worried about Lilith! I was going to tell you but you've been busy with Luz lately." 

"So you noticed too?" 

"When we went to the slayground, she kept yawning like you do when you're tired. Some kids came over because they recognized her and she didn't even react to them. I chased them off and she thanked me. Then she bought me a not-dog and we just walked around Bonesborough while she talked to me about you and her as kids."

"How's that weird?" 

"She carried me all the way back and didn't insult me once," King informed innocently. 

Eda held in a laugh. "You know she's capable of being a decent person from time to time, right?" They landed in an alley not far from her potionsdealer. "But I'm glad to hear you've been looking out for her since I've been distracted." 

King peered out from under Eda's hood. "I get it. You and Luz are working hard to get her home. Lilith has been asking me how to make it up to the both of you, but Luz is still pretty angry with her." 

"Can you blame her? How would you feel if you were almost murdered by someone and now they're living with you?" Eda asked, stopping near her potion's dealer. 

"If you know so much about potions, why don't you just make your own elixir?" King asked, ignoring the previous question. "Doesn't that make more sense than paying someone for it?" 

Eda scoffed. "I can't _make_ this stuff. The ingredients are only given out to a select few under Belos' stupid laws. No special ingredients; no elixir." She made her exchange as quickly as possible and turned away from the window. She was met with one of Warden Wrath's lackeys. "Uh..." 

"Aren't you supposed to be the Owl Beast?" The guard asked, pointing at her in confusion. "Emperor Belos said that the Titan instructed him to leave you a monster." 

Eda rolled her eyes, hand gripping her staff tighter. "He lied, whoop-dee-doo. I'm just fine and he got his butt kicked by a kid. Tell me, which one of us is actually honest with the people of the Isles?" 

The guard scratched his head. "Huh...you're _right!_ He _is_ a liar!" The guard threw off his helmet revealing a disheveled older man. "Thanks, Eda the Owl Lady!" 

"You're...welcome?" Eda responded. She watched as the man walked off, shouting that the emperor had lied about her. "Okay, King, let's get out of here before we draw any more attention to ourselves." 

"I guess this is what Willow meant by telling Luz she and Gus may have started a revolution." 

"A revolution?" 

"Yeah. Willow said that a lot of people wanted you to be free and didn't think you deserved to be petrified. They were surprised to see you look like your normal self because Belos told everyone you'd be stuck as the Owl Beast forever." 

Eda let that sink in as she prepared to mount her staff. Something seemed off about the walls and Eda couldn't help but stop to find out what it was. "King, did they change something?" 

"What do you mean?" The demon asked, looking around for what had caught Eda's eye. 

The older witch gasped, realizing what was bothering her. She didn't have any more wanted posters up. Instead, they were all of Luz just like the one Lilith had brought home the other day. They were plastered in large quantities as far as Eda could tell. If she had her magic, she would have burned every single one of them. If they were posted in Bonesborough, what about Hexside? Taking a detour, Eda raced towards the campus and searched the perimeter for any wanted posters. To her relief, she found none. 

"Edalyn," she heard Principle Bump say from above her, "what are you doing here? There isn't any school today." 

She looked up at the older witch leaning out of his office window. "I know, but I'm worried about Luz. I wanted to make sure it was safe for her to keep attending Hexside." 

Bump scratched his chin, deep in thought. "As far as I can tell, she should be. I can see why you're hesitant to let her come back. It's as I said before, you and your pupil are safe here. Should the Emperor's Coven come sniffing, I will promptly hide her from them." 

Eda sighed in relief. "Thanks, Bumpykins. I owe you one." 

He nodded. "I'm glad to see you weren't forced to stay in your cursed form. Please have Luz in class after tomorrow." He walked away before Eda could thank him again. 

King popped his head out from under the hood. "Hey, Luz can get back to learning magic!" 

Eda hummed in agreement. "It takes a lot of weight off of my mind. I would feel better if I could actually come along with her but I don't want to crowd her. Besides, she has her friends to keep her out of trouble." 

King laughed. "You're really going to believe they can keep Luz out of trouble? They helped her steal from Emperor Belos instead of telling her no." 

Eda frowned. "I'm trying to convince myself _not_ to worry. Geez!" She sped off back in the direction of the Owl House. They'd probably need to move the location deeper into the woods to avoid having guards surrounding them. They landed gracefully, as always, and King ran inside to use the bathroom. The gray-haired witch looked at the teens who were laughing about something. "The house is still rooted and not on fire, great job, kid!" 

Luz sprang up, peering at the large bag Eda had. "Oo, what is it? Is it for me?" 

Eda pulled the bag away before Luz could see its contents. "Ah ah ah, no touchy. _But_ , I _do_ have good news for you." Luz jumped up and down, not even trying to hide her excitement. "You can go back to school the next time it's in session." Luz hugged her, almost causing the older witch to drop the bag full of glass bottles. "Straight there and back, okay?" 

Luz nodded quickly. "Thankyouthankyouthankyou," she breathed out before letting herself fall to the floor. The other teens laughed, just as happy as the human was. "I promise I'll be more careful at school." 

Eda smiled. "I know, kiddo. Don't forget to have fun too." The teen nodded again. "Okay, I'm gonna go check up on Lilith before I start on supper." She turned away from the group of excited kids and climbed the stairs leading to Lilith's room. Knocking lightly, she entered the dark bedroom to find it a mess. Thankfully, her sister was still her sister, albeit breathing heavily. "Lily...?" Eda didn't receive an answer as she slowly approached the sleeping figure. Perhaps she was just coming down with something and didn't feel good. The younger sister felt the older one's forehead, shocked at the heat radiating off of her. 

Lilith groaned, tossing and turning away from the cool hand. She clutched at her stomach, gasping for air. 

Eda wasn't sure what to do. This wasn't what she'd experienced before turning, but something was obviously wrong with her sister. She didn't know anyone she could ask for help. Rushing into her room and fetching some pain-relieving potions, Eda did her best to make her sister comfortable. Her stomach twisted as she re-entered the room to find it empty. _There's no way she left faster than I did,_ the witch thought to herself. 

From below, screams erupted with sounds of breaking glass. 

"EDA!" 

The witch ran out of the room, not thinking to grab the elixir on her way out. All she could think of was getting to Luz in time before someone got hurt. She ran into the living room to find what appeared to be a blue-colored Owl Beast closing in on the group of kids. She was about to find something to throw at Lilith before she realized that the Owl Beast wasn't attacking. It swung its head to look at her and Eda faltered. 

Fear. 

The Owl Beast was scared and likely confused much like a child waking from a nightmare in an unfamiliar place. Eda could sympathize with it. Who could better understand than she? Eda slowly inched forward, hand outstretched towards her sister. "Lily...Lily, can you hear me? It's me, Edalyn, you're sister. I know you're scared, but you don't have to be. It's safe here. No one will hurt you," she said softly. Looking to Luz, she added, "the elixir's in her room upstairs. It's in the sack I had earlier." Luz nodded, slowly making her way to the stairs. "Lily, it's okay. We'll get you some elixir and then you can rest. It's okay." She managed to get close enough to let the creature nuzzle her hand. The two relaxed, the beast lowering so Eda could pet her. 

Luz re-entered the room with three bottles in her arms. _Smart girl,_ Eda noted. Taking a bottle from the human, Eda carefully fed it to Lilith. She waited for ten minutes and was about to grab another when her sister began to shudder. In the blink of an eye, Lilith was back to normal and holding her head. Eda kept her close, knowing how disorienting the change could be. 

"Why does my head hurt?" The blue-haired witch mumbled. She blinked rapidly, looking around as far as Eda's arms would let her. "What...are you doing?" 

"It's called a 'hug'," Eda informed, squeezing her tighter. "I thought you might like one." To her surprise, Lilith just rested her head back on her shoulder and let herself be held. 

"I like it. It's...nice," the tired witch said. She closed her eyes and let out a long sigh. 

"Luz, why don't you and your friends go to the kitchen. Have King help you make something simple for the others." 

"Okay, Eda," the teen responded. She set the remaining bottles of elixirs down before politely taking her friends into the other room. King ran over to Lilith and gave her a firm hug before going after Luz. 

Eda smiled at the demon even though she knew he couldn't see her. She'd thank him later for the sweet gesture. It had been a very long time since she saw Lilith in this state. They'd never been the type to accept affection other than an occasional comforting touch here and there. Their parents were...less than caring from what she managed to remember from her childhood. Despite all that, she and Lily had remained close up until her older sister joined the Emperor's Coven. Perhaps now they could finally mend all the tears and holes that had been created over the years. 

Lilith shifted out of Eda's grasp, sitting up with a wince. "Thank you, Edalyn." 

"For what?" Had she missed something while reminiscing the past? 

"For the...what did you call it? A 'hug'?" She asked, turning the empty bottle over in her hand. 

"Oh! Don't worry about it. Luz is always giving hugs out whether she's upset or one of us is. I just thought you might need one after...all _that_." Eda smoothed the wrinkles out of her dress. She stood and offered a hand to her distracted sister. Lilith hesitantly accepted the help and was soon on her feet as well. She swayed a bit in place. Eda helped steady her before helping her to the sofa. "You'll be a bit sore for a couple of days but you should be fine in the end." 

"Is that what you went through every time you changed?" Lilith had a far-off look in her eyes. Remorse and guilt were etched into her features as she draped an arm across her forehead. "I had no idea." 

Eda frowned. "I don't know if we had the same experiences, but I do know that it still looked just as painful." Curious, Eda added, "What did you see when you changed? What happened?" 

Lilith closed her eyes and took a deep breath before exhaling. "It hurt all over and then I found myself in darkness. At some point, I think I heard someone talking to me, but it was too faint to understand. I just tried to follow it and then I woke up in your arms." 

Eda's shoulders relaxed. "Huh. Thought there would have been something else." 

"Like?" 

"Don't worry about it right now. Just get some rest. I'll wake you up once I have something made," she said as she draped a blanket on her sister's lithe form. If it hadn't been for Luz, Eda might not have understood how to handle a situation like this. She entered the kitchen to find Amity staring at Luz with such an adoring gaze she almost vomited. The older witch did _not_ miss teenage crushes at all. As for her pupil, she was currently doing a little dance with King as a pot of water boiled behind them. Eda chuckled as the teen dramatically dipped the demon before setting him down on the countertop.

"Eda!" King called out, motioning for her to join them. "How's Lilith?" 

"She's resting," the witch informed. She picked the small demon up and held him close. No signs of injuries or trauma as far as Eda could see as she glanced around the room. "Whatcha makin' for supper?" 

"...Spaghetti," Luz answered sheepishly. 

Eda groaned. "Again! We had that yesterday, and the day before that." She pinched the bridge of her nose. "I think I'll pass." 

"But _Eda!!!_ " The teen clung to the older woman in desperation. "I made it _just_ how you like it." Luz slid to the floor. 

Eda looked away from her dramatic kid and spotted the expectant looks on the faces of her audience. Gus gave her the best puppy eyes he could manage. Willow folded her hands together as if praying Eda would give in. Amity, well, she certainly convinced the older witch to eat the stringy mush. The glare being shot in her direction made the older witch gulp. If she still had her powers, she'd remind the teen who was in charge. However, Eda hadn't forgotten how it took three people to stop her from attacking Hooty. The gray-haired witch threw her head back and let out a long, " _fiiiiinnnnnneeee._ " The things she did for this family. 

Luz clawed her way back up and whooped with joy. King jumped out of Eda's arms to grab plates for everyone. 

Eda peered into the living room to see if Lilith was up yet. Her sister had only been out for about twenty minutes. She'd let her sleep a little bit longer before waking her up. After all, it was still early in the evening. She felt a tug on her dress and turned to look at Gus. He was still making a cute face before Eda realized that was just his face. _He probably gets away with murder,_ Eda thought to herself. "Can I help you?" She asked, placing a hand on her hip. 

"Luz said to come and sit down. She's already served you a plate and cup of apple blood," he answered sweetly. 

Eda shrugged and followed the small boy over to the table. King was already slurping up the orange noodles as the other found space at the small table. Just as Gus had said, a plate was already set for the adult. Luz sat between Willow and Amity with Gus sitting next to Amity. Eda was positioned next to Willow who seemed to be at her wit's end already. The older witch gave the young girl a comforting pat as she sat down. "What did I miss?" 

"The usual," Willow responded. "Luz is Luz and Amity can't handle it. She kept sighing all dreamily while Luz told us stories from the Human Realm." 

"Blegh. Glad I missed it," Eda said with a chuckle. 

"Hey, watch this," Willow whispered. "Uh, Luz, could you show us that cat thing you do? Eda hasn't seen it yet." 

Luz's eyes widened abnormally. "Oh...my... _gosh_. You're totally right!" She flipped up her hood and cat ears before forming a fist next to her ear. "Nyaa~" 

Amity choked on her drink, spitting it out onto the table. She shot a glare at Willow while Gus rushed off to get a towel. 

Eda laughed at the look of confusion on Luz's face. "I think you should show Amity one more time. I think she missed it," Eda instructed Luz. 

Not wanting her friend to miss out on the fun, Luz repeated the action, this time with a wink. 

Amity did not survive the direct hit. 

This time, King joined Eda in her laughter as Amity grew bright red. To their great enjoyment, Luz misunderstood the situation. 

"I'm sorry Amity, I didn't know that would make you angry," the teen said as she approached the blushing witch. 

Amity opened her mouth and...squeaked like a mouse. 

By this time, Eda was pounding a fist on the table as King knocked dishes off the table. They caused so much racket that Lilith entered the kitchen with a dark cloud following her. Willow and Gus were giggling to the side but immediately stopped upon seeing the death glare in the witch's eyes. "Luz...Luz...," Eda tried in between breaths, "do it... _hahaha_...do it again..." 

"Eda, I think I made Amity really mad. She won't talk to me anymore," Luz responded. She was trying to convince the green-haired witch to remove the hands covering her face. 

"Edalyn," Lilith ground out, "what is going on in here? You could wake the dead with this level of noise." 

"They probably have a better sense of humor than you do," Eda replied. "How can you _not_ find this funny?" 

"Stop picking on the poor dear already," her sister chastised. "What are we eating? I'm starving." 

Eda stopped laughing and turned her attention entirely towards her sister. "Spaghetti." 

" _Again_!?!?" Lilith threw a similar tantrum to the one Eda had thrown earlier. "Is that _all_ we'll be eating from now on?" 

"Maybe. It's all the kid knows how to cook. It could be worse though," Eda answered. "Stop complaining and eat. If you don't, I'll have your former pupil kick your butt." 

As if on queue, Amity snapped her head up to glare at her former mentor. "Eat it," she threatened with a snarl. 

"You must _really_ like spaghetti," Luz commented. She was glad to see that Amity was no longer 'angry' with her. "I'll pack a bowl so you can take it with you for tomorrow." 

"Really!" 

"Yup," Luz said with a wide grin. "What kind of friend would I be if I didn't let you take some home with you?" 

Everyone winced at the comment. Eda facepalmed with a groan, "kid..." 

"Thanks," Amity managed to say. 

Eda applauded the girl for keeping the heartbreak in her voice to a minimum. She looked at the mess that had been made and almost wept at the sight of spilled apple blood on the table. She sighed before turning back to Luz. "Okay, that's enough messing around for one day. Let's clean this up and try again." 

"We won't fit," Lilith pointed out. 

Eda shook her head. "No, we'll fit. I'll just share a plate with King so you'll have a spot." Everyone did as asked and soon they were sitting with plates of food before their faces. Eda set King in her lap and did her best not to drop any sauce on his head as she ate. She kept a hand around his waist so he wouldn't slip off when reaching for sections of noodles furthest from his reach. Lilith kept quiet as the teens talked amongst themselves. Occasionally, King would add a comment to the conversation. For the most part, Eda and Lilith just focused on eating. They were both tired and longed for the energy their young guests had. 

As much as Lilith complained about Luz's cooking, she finished her entire plate before everyone else and even got seconds. There were bags under her eyes and a yawn pulling at her lips as she finished eating. "Thank you for the meal," she said as she stood. "I'm going to take a shower and go to bed. Eda, if you would be so kind as to do the dishes for me, I would greatly appreciate it." She must have been pretty exhausted to ask Eda for a favor. For the most part, Lilith's pride had kept her from asking for help in the past. 

Eda just nodded before wishing her sister good night. She kept an eye on Lilith as she exited the room. Soon, she'd have to send the kids back to their homes before anyone got suspicious and connected them to her. She didn't want any more kids to get involved on her behalf, especially the young Blight. "I have an announcement to make," Eda began. "I'll be moving the house deeper into the woods. Luz can show you all the way on her way back from school. Be absolutely sure that no one's following you here or we'll have a repeat kidnapping." She looked off to the side as the teens shifted in their seats. "I don't want anyone to be upset, but it's _very_ dangerous and it would be _very_ bad if something happened to one of you." 

"We understand," Willow said before approaching her. "Don't worry. We'll help you keep an eye out for coven members too." 

"Now hold up, that's not what I meant," Eda quickly said. "I don't want Belos coming after the three of you either. Stick to the shadows and keep your heads down until I can kick his butt." 

"Oh," Willow responded. "We can fight too." 

"Absolutely not! What point of 'don't get involved' do you not understand? You're literally children trying to topple the government," Eda scolded. They were going to be the death of her if they couldn't just follow her simple instructions. "Go to school, hang out or whatever, go home, repeat. If you draw attention to yourselves, there's not much anyone can do to help you. So _no_ getting into trouble, understood?" 

"We understand, Eda," Luz interjected. "School and back, that's what you said. I promise to be on my best behavior," she added with a salute. 

Eda supposed it was better than nothing. "Okay, off with you lot. Go tear up the living room or something. I'm gonna clean up a bit." The group thanked her on their way out before leaving Eda to her own devices. She made sure to keep an ear out in case anyone got hurt or broke something. Washing the dishes didn't take long and she was soon finished tidying up. Other than the scare from earlier, she'd had a good day. Luz could go back to school. Her friends would be there for the human when she couldn't. King was getting along well with Lilith and vice versa. But the stress of knowing that Luz might have to handle two Owl Beasts began to weigh her shoulders down. What if she hadn't bought enough elixir to stop both of them? At least Lilith didn't appear to be hostile, just scared. Had she been like that? 

She didn't realize she was just standing in the middle of the kitchen staring into thin air until there was a knock at the doorway. She turned to see Amity clutching at the doorframe. Another kid in need of parenting, it seemed. Eda motioned for her to come a little further into the room. She wasn't surprised to see that the teen kept her distance and waited for her to speak in her own time. The poor thing was a bundle of nerves every time Eda saw her. Seconds ticked away before Amity found her voice. 

"Um...I know that you're probably worried about my family telling Emperor Belos about everything, so I'll understand if you don't want me to come over anymore," Amity informed as she stared at the ground. 

"It's true that I'm worried about who your family is, but I know you wouldn't do anything to put Luz in danger. In fact, I think you're more than capable of making sure she gets away safely. _However_ , that doesn't mean you should recklessly throw yourself into danger. I mean it when I say that I don't want anyone else to get dragged into mine and Lilith's messes. Just...just be careful, okay?" Eda couldn't stress how badly she just wanted these kids to go back to not worrying about the government watching their every move. " _And_ , I should probably apologize for having Luz make you flustered. I was hoping she would get the hint, but it's gonna take more than you panicking and blushing. Why in the world does she think you're angry when you blush?" 

Amity shrugged. "I think it might be my siblings' fault. I don't know what all they told her when they brought the library to life." 

"First a house, then a library. I wonder what she'll animate next," Eda said. "I don't know. Just...be yourself," she said with a plastic smile. "She's human and easily impressed by this world. Use that to your advantage." 

Amity's eyes widened in realization. "You're right! Thanks, Eda," the teen said before giving the older witch a quick hug. "You're the best," she said over her shoulder as she ran out. 

Eda smiled. "No problem, kid." Maybe _now_ Luz would see the poor teen's pining. Or not. There was still the chance that Luz was just _too_ distracted to notice. She looked out the window and saw that dusk was descending upon them. If she didn't send the other kids home, their families might worry. "Okay," Eda began as she entered the living room. "I hate to kill the mood but it's time for you three to leave. It'll be night time soon." The group tried to drag out their goodbyes, but a literal push from Eda had them out the door. "Bye," she said as she waved to the retreating figures. She looked over at Luz who looked a little worried. 

"What if they get stopped on their way back and they get captured for associating with me?" Luz nibbled on her fingertips. 

Eda placed her hands on the teen's shoulders and turned her to face her. "Calm down. That kind of thinking isn't good for you." She looked to see if the kids had disappeared before looking back at Luz. "Everything's gonna be alright. No one's going to get captured or hurt." The worry in the teen's eyes morphed into despair as tears leaked down her cheeks. 

"I just don't want them to get hurt because of me," Luz revealed. "King said there was a _lot_ of posters up in the market. Everyone's looking for me." 

Eda was going to wring King's neck for this one. She brushed away Luz's tears and pulled her into a hug. "I know it's scary and you're worried about your friends. I wish I could tell you everything will go back to normal, but I wouldn't lie to you. Yes, you're wanted but no one in their right mind would turn a kid in to the cops. There will be days when you'll want to blame yourself for everything that's happened, but you shouldn't. No one could have seen any of this coming or stopped it if they did. Your friends are smart and brave. They wouldn't be reckless or risk anyone's safety unless they didn't have a choice. Plus, those guards are _terrible_ at their job. Did King tell you that one of them quit when he saw I wasn't in my cursed form?" 

Luz shook her head and looked up at Eda. "Did they really?" 

Eda smiled. "He took his hood off and everything. It's the first time that's ever happened since Belos took over the Isles. It's a good sign fo the future. So," she said as she bopped Luz on the nose, "don't stress about it _too_ much. Be wary and cautious, but not stressed and panicked. That's how you make mistakes and walk right into their traps. I know you're smarter than that and they can't catch us as long as we're what?" 

"Slippery," Luz answered. She already looked much better. She went back to hugging Eda. 

"You're the best. You know that, right?" 

"So I've been told," Eda responded as she tousled the teen's growing locks. "You're pretty great too." 

King ran down the stairs and began to pull at Luz's leg. "Come on, come on. You promised me that we'd read one more chapter before bed," the demon reminded. "I wanna know if the old lady gets whacked." 

That was...ominous-sounding to the older witch. She let go of Luz and gave her a light push towards King. "Go on. You know how he gets when you take too long." 

The teen nodded. "Okay, you gobber," she said and grasped King's paw. "Let's go read a chapter and then it's off to bed for us." 

"Can I eat snacks in your room this time?" 

"No," Eda heard Luz say, "it'll attract more night critters. I'd like to sleep tonight." 

Eda closed the front door, noting how worn out Hooty had been since the teens had gotten together. She extinguished the candles in the living room by hand and climbed the stairs. She peeked into Luz's room to see King laying his head on the teen's lap as she stroked his fur and read from that awful book. She snuck into Lilith's room to make sure her sister was asleep and not showing signs of changing so soon. Just in case, Eda placed two bottles of the elixir by the bedside and left the room. She showered and changed into her nightclothes before crawling into her nest. It had been an eventful day and she gladly welcomed sleep. She'd need to clean out the extra rooms in case one of the kids needed to hide out with them when things got bad. She could always start tomorrow, she noted as she drifted off.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm tired of school already. Someone save me from all of my history classes. Might add more to it throughout the week, just wanted y'all to have something to get y'all through the day.
> 
> Sep. 28: no new chap this weekend. Will update asap when free of work and homework. Sorry : /


	11. Together Or Not At All

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Eda spends a quiet day alone to work on her glyphs while the others are out. She is given a moment to really think about everything that's happened ever since her crazy adopted human daughter stumbled into her life and how it's changed her. For someone who is used to being alone, her thoughts get the better of her. It's a good thing she has a family to remind her that she's not alone. A great weight is easily borne by multiple pillars rather than a singular stand!

Eda sat crosslegged on her bedroom floor surrounded by numerous balls of lights hovering over tiny vases of singular flowers. Her brow was creased as she focused intently on drawing a perfect circle on the yellowed paper Luz had left her. She chewed on her lower lip, bruising the delicate skin as she finished closing the shape. A sigh was released with such relief one might mistake her task with some life-altering task such as surgery. The witch glanced over at a potted flower to her right with a determined look. She hated drawing circles on the thin sheets of paper. No matter how well the other parts of the glyphs would be drawn, her ovular base always led to defective spells or ones that simply refused to work. She couldn't blame the spell itself when the plant she was currently staring at was so beautifully crafted by her former pupil. The soft glow of the lights above made it seem as though it were an enchanted prize for some weary traveler on a long and arduous journey.

The quiet house gave the witch a pause in her studies. Luz had taken King and Lilith on some romp at Hexside for new and current students. Eda had taken the chance to focus on her glyphs free of distractions without hesitation. Much as she loved her little family, she needed a break from everyone and just breathe for once. The past few months had felt like the air was slowly being squeezed from her lungs with each passing event. The witch had never felt so old in her life than when she was rushing in to stop someone from being taken from her. Her body wanted to collapse completely some days without her having moved an inch from her nest. Eda's mind was like a jar of starved fairies trying to break free and wreak havoc.

Taking a deep, _deep_ breath, Eda closed her eyes and allowed her mind to finally dwell on the thoughts she'd been ignoring so fiercely for some time. She imagined that King, Luz, and Lilith were sat in front of her, waiting to hear what Eda had to say.

"I'm scared that something terrible is going to happen to all of us now that I don't have my magic to protect us. Luz, when you first showed up, I didn't think you'd want to stay here with some crazy old witch living in the forest with her demon roommate. I don't know what I expected from you, maybe for you to give up on your crazy ideas of being a witch. Maybe I was tired of only having King to talk to and liked the idea of having a pupil to teach. I really missed getting to spend time with Lily and just share new spells or potions we'd learned in school. A part of me thought that you'd want to go back to the Human Realm when you saw my cursed form. Heck, even King didn't know that I turn into a terrifyingly violent beast until now. I can't believe neither of you left me out of fear and were understanding about my curse. I've kept so many secrets from all of you and yet you all want to be there for me when Belos is breathing down my neck."

Imaginary Luz smiled brightly at the witch. King nodded his head as if to say, "Of course!" Lilith continued to stare at Eda but there was a new softness to her features. Eda swallowed thickly and continued to talk to the comforting thought of her friends. She knew that she'd need to say these words to them one day, just in case...

"The day Luz ran off to fulfill that baloney destiny fed to her by Adegast made me realize that I shouldn't be so hard on her. She's got dreams and I shouldn't be the one to judge them so quickly. She's done pretty dang good for the scrawny human I once thought couldn't last a day in this place. If it weren't for Luz, I'd just be running around selling stupid little trinkets to the fools of the Boiling Isles. I'd almost forgotten what it was like to live and have a purpose! It was fun being chased around by you and your minions, Lily, but even that was getting old. Luz is an unpredictable whirlwind of potential that her human counterparts have failed to consider or even appreciate. She's made great friends that even I find quite enjoyable even if they do have whiney little voices that irritate me from time to time. I don't know any other wreckless little hellions other than Luz and her friends that would even consider standing up to Belos in all my years alive. Luz, you _fought_ the most feared witch in all of the Boiling Isles and _lived_! I won't lie when I say I thought we were all goners once Belos turned his focus on you. I was _so_ worried that you'd be left completely defenseless and then you took them all on. I couldn't be any prouder of the growth I've seen from you. You changed from that naive little timid girl into a real powerful young woman with the world at your feet.

"And King! You probably should've kept Luz from even thinking about taking on the Emperor's Coven, but you were there for her and stopped me from letting revenge get to my head. You're the bravest demon a witch could ask to be family in this crazy dimension. I'm proud of you for being there for Luz when I couldn't and for watching over her. I know that you didn't really want Luz to move in with us but I know that the two of you need each other, so I don't have to listen to your terrible jokes." Eda let out a chuckle. Her pride would never let her admit to anyone, imaginary or not, that she found their jokes to be the best part of her morning. The witch's focus shifted to Lilith, the most complicated sisterly bond and cause of so much of the buzzing in her aged skull.

"Lily...Lilith...Where do I even start with you?" She let out a sigh. "I remember how we used to play, weren't those good times? We'd spend _hours_ just being happy and care-free. I never suspected that you'd betray in such a way. When I had an issue with you, I always tried to talk to you about it. But you...you didn't. You just...you destroyed all my dreams just so you could go and follow that sham. How could you think that I'd ever fight you over something you clearly wanted way more than I ever could? Had we not spent days and days arguing about me wanting to learn all magic like in the old days? You _knew_ I wanted so much more than Belos could have ever offered me and still, you took matters into your own hands. We were so young and I could never understand who could be _so_ cruel to a kid. You never even told me even after all the years we continued to live together. We could have figured out a way to reverse it together rather than leave me to suffer for so long.

"If it hadn't been for your change of heart to turn against Belos, I would have killed you. You purposely tried to kill Luz on multiple occasions during our fight and I still don't think you understand how you hurt all of us. It's easy for you to say you're sorry and spend time with them, but they aren't family to you yet. I can tell with the way you and Luz dance around each other to avoid starting a fight. You've gotten closer to King, but only because he is a sweet soul who pities the weak. I don't know if Luz or I could ever forget what you put us through. Not only have you given me night terrors, but you've given Luz several. King and she didn't deserve to be dragged into the mess you created for us and now we can't keep them from it. I'm scared, Lily, I'm scared that we've dug ourselves a hole we can't get out of." Eda's shoulders shuddered as she exhaled a shaky breath. The weight of all that had occurred was pressing down on her, taking more air from her. When would she be free from the constant threat of having her family destroyed.

One tear fell. Then another. And then another.

She couldn't stop the hot tears that burned a trail down her cold cheeks. The images she'd conjured in her mind wavered, then faded. What would happen if she was caught again? Maybe she could devise a plan to have Lilith smuggled back to the Human Realm before the revolution truly began and people were hurt. Images of Luz falling towards her doom sprang up like the sharp bones below the bridge she had once stood on. Her body jerked forward instinctually, her hand making contact with a pot of soil. The thud of clay against the floor caused the witch to jump. Her heart felt like it was trying to break free from the confines of her rib cage and the buzzing only seemed to worsen. It was like a cold hand had slipped into her body and was making her feel icy within, her limbs felt heavy and numb. Eda couldn't tell if she was still breathing or not. Her mind was too busy replaying Luz falling over and over and over and...

~~~~

Luz ran up to Hooty with a large grin on her face. "Hiya Hooty," the teen greeted loudly. She rudely kicked him open and rushed into the Owl House. She had bags of rocks and brick pieces that she tossed to the side. She looked around for Eda as a dirty Lilith entered, a chatty King riding piggy-back as he described his coolest rocks to the older witch. "Eda," Luz called. She waited for an answer and never received one. She shared a look with Lilith, slightly suspicious, and worried. "Huh, maybe she's taking a nap."

"I haven't heard her _alllll_ day," Hooty explained as he twisted himself around and upside down. "I _did_ hear something fall in her room though," the house demon stated ominously. 

"Hooty," King cried. "How 'bout you start with that next time, buddy."

The group rushed upstairs. Luz didn't bother to knock as she opened the doors loudly and rushed in. At this point, Eda's light spells had dimmed significantly and were on the verge of disappearing altogether. Lying face down, the gray-haired witch remained motionless and failed to react to the group as they stepped over poorly crafted plants. With the combined effort of the three, they turned the unconscious witch over. Lilith rested her sister's head on her lap and was grateful to see that there were no visible injuries. Luz grabbed Eda's hand, holding it up to her face as she looked over at her mentor's sibling.

"Do you think she's okay?" Her lip trembled slightly and King moved over to wrap himself against her free arm.

The look in her eyes made the blue-haired witch feel...different. Not a bad different, but it made her feel like she needed to do something to make the teen feel better. Casting a spell to scan her sleeping sister, Lilith was relieved to find she was void of any major injuries. "She's fine. My spell revealed no injuries so don't worry. My sister is prone to tiring herself easily when she dedicates too much time to learn a new type of magic. Simple as it is, your human magic does require a lot of effort from Edalyn. She's never been good at drawing," Lilith informed as she took in the many, _many_ plants with deformities placed throughout the room. _Only Edalyn would push herself when it isn't necessary,_ Lilith thought to herself.

"So...she's just tired," Luz said, more to herself than the others. "We should put her in her nest so she's comfortable."

King nodded. "That's-"

" _Not_ necessary," a newly awakened Eda interrupted. Her mouth was dry and she felt lightheaded as she struggled to sit up. It was like wading through a trashworm's stinky old mucous. She felt her sister's hands at her shoulders as she was eased into a sitting position. King and Luz were quick to embrace the witch and were careful not to squeeze her. She pulled them in close, reveling in their presence. She took several deep breaths to finish reawakening her body after such a stressful episode. "Guess I...fell asleep," the witch lied.

"You really must be more careful," Lilith chastised. "We're not the young witches we once were. Perhaps you should take a break from glyph magic." She reached up and began to untangle a ball of hair for her weary sister. "We _had_ brought back a bunch of new materials to study for more glyphs but I don't think you're ready to move on from plants."

"Hey," Eda refuted. "I was doing perfectly fine until I..." The witch shut her mouth and turned away from her sister's knowing eyes.

"Until you what?" Lilith crossed her arms with a raised brow. "Well."

Eda wanted the ground to swallow her up before the older witch pried the truth from her. She was about to leave the room when she felt Luz tug on her arm. She looked down at the display of emotions that told Eda she had better _fix it right now_. She grimaced as she looked over at King who had a similar display of emotions and drooping tail. "Look, everything is okay and nobody needs to worry about anything. I'm old," she chuckled with a slight, unconvincing smile. Lilith began to growl. "I'm fine," Eda stated with more authority as she brought herself to her full height.

"Eda," Luz began as she held fast to the hand that had remained in her grasp, "what's wrong? You can tell us, it's okay."

Eda's will power wavered as she watched Luz become more and more emotional. "Ugh, _fine_! Can't get any respect in my own home." She ruffled Luz's hair and broke the teen's depressive spiral. "I just thought about too much too soon and ended up taking a surprise nap."

"You fainted from _thinking_? What does that even mean? No one does that," Lilith said with a huff. _She can be so dramatic sometimes_ , Lilith thought to herself with a roll of her eyes.

"Wait," King interrupted and turned to the teen. "Weren't you telling me that you used to have surprise naps like Eda when you were in the Human Realm?"

Luz jumped with realization. "You're right King!" The witchling turned to her mentor. "Eda, I think you had some sort of panic attack. What were you thinking about before you passed out? How did you feel when it was happening? Ohmygosh we don't have a doctor to give you professional advice! Ugh, what if what helps me doesn't help you out?" The young girl began to pace as she chewed on her lip and was deep in thought.

"Luz...Luz...LUZ," Eda shouted to regain the girl's attention. "One thing at a time. Geez, you really like to jump off the rails, don't you?" She walked over to the panicked teen and placed her hands on Luz's shoulders. "I was just thinking about...everything and it kind of got out of hand. Everything is fine so just breathe before you stress me out more." Thinking a certain demon was missing out on some reassurance, Eda picked up King and held him close. "A lot's been happening and I really haven't had time to process anything."

"I don't understand," Lilith stated bluntly. "How can you faint from _thinking_? If that was the case, you would've been comatose at a very young age."

"I don't know," Eda said. "Does it look like I understand half the things Luz tells me about human stuff?"

"Hey, it's a real thing," Luz said defensively. "When I was younger, schoolwork would sometimes overwhelm me, and a couple of times I fainted. My doctor said that I was stressed and had an anxiety attack from overworking my body for an extended period of time. My mom helped me learn how to manage my work so that I always had plenty of time to relax and then I found the Azura books. They helped me relax and give my mind a break from all my worries."

"So what you're saying is that instead of physically exhausting yourself with, say, chores, you made your brain work too hard for too long and it caused you to faint?" Lilith cocked her head to the side. "And you avoided it by still doing things that require you to think?"

"I was always worried about doing something wrong in class or forgetting to do my homework. I didn't tell anyone and kept it to myself and then one day I had chills and my chest began to hurt. I couldn't feel myself breathing and everything just felt weird. The next thing I knew, I woke up in my living room with my mother checking me for head injuries. She said I'd passed out. After we went to the doctor's, we began to take family walks around my neighborhood when she had the time. I read books because it distracted me from things like upcoming tests or sports events. If Eda's been super worried lately, and we almost died a _lot_ , then, of course, she'd have a panic attack. Almost dying is kinda scary if you haven't noticed," Luz finished with a wave of her arms.

"I think I understand now," Lilith said with a nod. "I stand by what I said earlier. You won't be doing magic for a couple of days so that you can...relax your mind."

Eda was taken aback and set King down to face her sister. "I can't stop working on my glyphs! What am I going to do when Belos and his lackeys come knocking? In case you haven't noticed, I don't have any magic."

"Edalyn, Eda," Lilith whispered, "you're not the only one who had magic. Have you forgotten that your pupil and I still have magic? We may not be very strong, but we're definitely more competent than a group of coven guards."

"And don't forget me," King reminded. 

"And _meeeeee_ ," Hooty added from a window with his shrill voice. "I'm a dangerous bad boy, hoot hoot~."

Eda looked around the room with a frown. Brave as they all were, it wouldn't be enough to stop Belos if he came after them. "That's all very nice but the real threat is a bit much for all of us to handle in our current state."

"I almost beat him last time," Luz reminded with a smirk. "I'll gladly break another one of his creepy masks."

"That's right," Lilith said in agreement. "The child _did_ go through an entire dungeon of guards and successfully tricked Emperor Belos. You shouldn't underestimate her. She was more than ready to burn me to ashes when I found her."

"I was," Luz said a little too gleefully. "And _yeah_ , you shouldn't underestimate me." The teen crossed her arms and raised her head to meet Eda's eyes with a steely determination. " _I_ am more powerful than anyone could have suspected."

"Kid, I know you're strong but you only got away from Belos 'cause you had a bargaining chip. Now that we don't have a portal door anymore, there's nothing keeping him from petrifying you the moment he gets ahold of you. I'm going to try and stop that from happening but I can't unless I learn your glyph magic. We're running out of time before a war breaks out and people start getting hurt, seriously hurt. I _can't_ have you here when that happens. I don't know what I'd do if he..." Eda stopped herself as she felt tears resurfacing. She wanted to shake herself in anger. Didn't she _just_ say that she was fine? She wouldn't be very reassuring if she started _crying_ in front of all of them.

In the midst of her thoughts, she felts arms wrap around her. Eda's first assumption was that _Luz_ was giving her a warm hug. But, if that was the case, when did Luz grow tall enough for Eda's head to rest on her shoulder or her hand to reach the back of her head so effortlessly? The only one who came close to her height was...but she'd _never_ give anyone a hug _willingly_ , would she? Eda pulled her head back to look at her sister. "What are you doing?"

"It's a hug. I thought you might like it," Lilith said. "Dear sister, I feel it's my duty to remind you that we will always share each other's sorrows. You aren't alone in this and we _will_ stop the emperor from hurting anyone. We just have to take it all one day at a time _together_."

Eda relaxed. Her sister had always been very cunning, not as much as her, but she was still the next most intelligent witch of her age on the Boiling Isles. If Lilith truly saw a chance of defeating Belos without losing anyone, then she must have a strategy forming. She hadn't served him all those years without gaining a sizeable amount of knowledge on the villainous tyrant. Perhaps, if she did as Lilith suggested, they could all grow together, one day at a time. "Luz," Eda said after a long pause, "have I ever thanked you for bringing hugs into the Owl House?"

Luz thought for a moment. "I don't think so..."

"You most certainly have not," King informed. "Now, I would very much like to join your sisterly hug." Luz nodded in agreement.

Eda felt Lilith tense for a moment before she opened an arm for the other two to join in. The hugging began to stretch on for much longer than she would like. She finally pried herself out of her family's grip and stretched out her back. Her joints popped; a sigh of relief escaping. "I'm very hungry and want to see the rocks that all of you collected on your little escapade. How about we sneak off into Bonesborough and get something to eat? We can look at your loot afterward."

"Really!?!?" The three questioned the gray-haired witch simultaneously with incredulous looks.

"What?

"Sister, weren't you just worried about not being able to fight off a bunch of guards?"

"Didn't you just say we're in this together?"

"Guys," Luz groaned. "Let's just go get some food and worry about everything later. I _finally_ found a place that sells food that _doesn't_ look like some kind of moldy piece of meat that was left out in the hot sun."

"Why do you humans hate flavor?" King shook his head with a sigh. "But I'm also hungry so Luz and I are leaving regardless."

"You would leave us to starve?" Lilith fixed King with an amused look. "Of course, we're coming along. Give us a moment to get ready. I'm still covered in dirt and leaves and Luz has grass in her hair."

The teen took both hands and shook her hair. She watched with an open mouth as dead bits of grass drifted slowly to the floor. "Yuck. Guess a quick shower couldn't hurt. I think thirty minutes should be plenty of time for all of us to shower and get ready."

"Does this mean I have to shower too?" King looked at his mud-covered paws. "Ugh, guess it does. Okay everybody, hurry up 'cause I'm ready to eat a whole town."

The group split up to get ready and were soon downstairs. Eda sat on the sofa and watched as Lilith fiddled with her hair. She turned to see Luz cooing over how cute King looked and was telling him how much better he smelled. She laughed as he tried to stay out of the teen's reach but was easily scooped up and into the girl's arms. "So, we're all ready then?"

"All ready," Luz stated with a grin. King perched himself on Luz's arm before nodding with a satisfactory hum. The teen happened to be wearing her witch's cape. It complimented Eda's dark red cloak nicely as the older witch moved towards the two.

"Just give me _one_ moment," Lilith said, still fiddling with a strand of hair that refused to stay straight.

"What's going on with your hair?" Luz studied the other Clawthorne. "It looks like you've got a little curly piece."

"Oh, _Lily_ ," Eda cried deviously, "are those dead tendrils _finally_ returning to their natural state? I haven't seen you with curls since we were very young."

"No way! You're supposed to have curly hair?" Luz nearly dropped King at the revelation. "You guys don't have any straighteners here. How do you manage to keep it straight?"

"Hey Luz, guess what else Lilith used to have?" King teased with a wicked glint in his eyes.

"What? Tell me, I need to know this _now_."

"Lilith used to have dark orange hair and played grudgby back in the day with Eda."

"Wait," Luz said, dropping King this time. He 'weh'ed as he hit the ground and glared at the teen. "You used to play grudgby?" The teen stared at her mentor in disbelief. "How come you never told me?"

"Why don't we talk about this on the way over to Bonesborough? I don't know about you, kid, but I'm starving."

"Agreed," Lilith added with a nod. "And it takes a special potion to keep my hair straight as well as dye it the color it is now."

"That is so cool," the girl admitted. She opened the door for the Clawthorne sisters and followed them out. Eda had picked up King and was letting him ride in her hair. "So Eda, tell me about your grudgby playing days. I bet you were one of the best players on the team."

"You better believe it kid. I was _unstoppable_ on the field and was a star player," Eda informed with a puff of pride. "I never got a chance to tell you 'cause I wanted you to enjoy the moment you'd had when you first played. Ah, the good old days of cheating to the finish line."

"Cheating, yup, that sounds about right," Luz said with a laugh. "Have you _ever_ won anything without cheating?"

" _Actually_ I have," the gray-haired witch stated proudly. "I beat _this_ sore loser the same day you played that little pink-haired menace. You shoulda seen her face too. It really broke her spirit." Eda laughed and playfully shoved her sister.

"Yes, you beat me fair and square. I can't refute that you played well that day. I doubt you could do it again, but some accidents happen twice," the older witch said without any real malice in her tone. "Perhaps we can have a little game one of these days. I'd like to see you and Luz play against me and my former pupil. I think it would make for quite the entertaining game."

"Could we really!" Luz rushed up between the two sisters and stopped them in her tracks. "Please, Eda. Pleasepleasepleasepleaseeeeee," she whined. She grabbed the red-clad witch and slid to the ground. "I wanna see how you play grudgby."

"Hey now, you'll get dirty again," Eda warned as she pulled the teen back to her feet. "I don't know. Let me think about it for a little bit. You kinda need magic for grudgby and I'm a _little_ challenged in that department right now."

"I'll help you with your glyphs so we can play a game," Luz promised. "I just _really_ wanna play a game with you."

"Alright, alright, alright," Eda said with a roll of her eyes. "You act like we can't just play that human form of grudgby you showed us the other day."

"Oh, you mean volleyball, right? I guess we _could_ play that, but grudgby would help us practice using magic like an obstacle course."

"Huh, I guess you're right," Eda said after a moment's pause. "But I still need to work on drawing circles. I just can't get the darn things to come out right."

"That's okay. It took me a while," Luz admitted as she began to walk backward. "All you have to do is keep going and don't give up."

Eda did her best not to frown and was glad to see the town not too far off. "So, where's the food at?"

The teen skipped a little ahead before answering. "It's this little restaurant type shop and the food smelled so delicious. I found it close to the market place and I heard someone say it had great food."

"It must be new," Lilith stated. "I've never heard of shops giving out cooked food unless it was for pets."

Eda hummed in suspicion. She was glad she still had Owlbert and his small amount of magic but she didn't know if he'd be any help in this situation. "We'll scope it out, but if it seems too out of the ordinary we're going home."

"Aw, c'mon Eda. Nothing has happened to anyone that I've asked about it."

"But none of those people are _us_ ," Eda reminded. "We can't just waltz around town like we used to. Anything could be a trap."

"A little food shop is more than a stretch," Lilith interrupted. "Sending small armies is more of the emperor's style. He wants the Isles to think that you deserve to be captured so no one questions him. If he were to poison us it would make people suspicious. They all seem to love you and your sudden demise would raise a plethora of eyebrows."

"I wasn't thinking about _dying_ Lilith. I was more concerned about being captured for information on my portal door."

"Oh...well I still don't think food is the Emperor's Coven's style," Lilith mumbled with a slight blush.

Eda slapped her sister on the back. "Eh, don't worry about it. I'm sure you're probably right and I'm just being paranoid." Lilith hummed in agreement. "Alright kid, take us to this food shop before I eat someone's limb."

"Ma'am, yes ma'am," Luz said with a mock salute.

She marched the group to a little building sandwiched between a wall and a much taller building. There were little lights decorating the exterior and the smell of cooking meat surrounded the area. A small line of people entered the establishment with some pushing. The few individuals that exited rubbed their stomach-containing areas and spoke loudly about the great meal they'd just ingested. Once inside, many tables were packed and the group found themselves to be lucky and get the last empty table off to the side. A waiter gave them a menu to share before leaving them with cups of water. Eda, of course, asked for hers to be exchanged with apple blood.

"Well, nothing seems out of sort," Lilith commented.

"Excuse me," a male interrupted. He had long blonde hair and red eyes that made Luz a little uneasy. "I'm the owner of this establishment and couldn't help but overhear your comment on my restaurant. I certainly hope nothing displeases any of you. Please let me know if it does."

"Your place is fine," Eda responded shortly. She felt like he was familiar but couldn't quite place where she'd seen or heard him from before. Maybe she'd picked something off of him in passing. She kept her eyes on him as he gave a short nod and left. She thought it odd that the owner looked so tired and worn down but then she remembered that the building was packed with hungry customers. "He was odd."

"I don't think I like him very much," Luz whispered to Eda. "He was kinda scary to be around."

"I think it's best if we don't come back here," Lilith added after hearing the teen's comment. "Eavesdropping on your customers is rude and poor customer service."

Eda fixed Lilith with a look. "Not the exact reason why we shouldn't come back but if that's what it takes to convince you, then it's good enough for me. Let's just eat and get out of here."

The group ordered simple foods and was surprised to find that it did taste good. However, the interaction with the owner left a sour taste in their mouths the entire time. They finished their meals within the hour, paid, and left without running into the man again. There was still sunlight as they walked back home. Everyone kept an eye out for any guards that might be lurking in the bushes along the path. Thankfully, they were met with none and were welcomed by Hooty as they walked up to the door.

Luz grabbed a couple of bags and dumped the contents out onto the floor as Eda and Lilith sat on the sofa. "These," she said with a gesture to the rocks, "are what I'm going to study and see if they have any hidden glyphs. I figured that if they were on plants and in the snow, they might be on rocks too. We collected as many different types of rocks just in case they only appear on certain ones."

"Great job all of you, but this means that someone needs to clean all the dirt you just put on my carpet," Eda informed. She chuckled as King and Luz had a brief game to settle who would clean the mess up. "Hand me a rock," the witch told her sister.

Lilith picked up a blue and orange rock and handed it to Eda. With her naked eye, there weren't any apparent signs of a glyph. She found the magnifying glass she'd lent Luz and turned the rock over and over. Still, she didn't find anything and set it down on the table. Even if it lacked anything important, it was a pretty neat rock that Eda thought would look cool in her room. It looked as though the group had grabbed over a hundred rocks of varying size, shape, color, and weight. She'd have to make sure to have Luz examine the rocks with her nearby so she could pick the ones she wanted.

King and Luz joined Eda in inspecting their small collection of stone and Lilith continued to worry over her hair. They spent about ten minutes in silence before Luz began to yawn. It passed from her to Lilith, and from Lilith to Eda and King. The sky had darkened and the owls outside the house could be heard as they hooted to one another in the trees. Eda set the magnifying glass down and rubbed her tired eyes.

"I think I'm gonna go to bed," Luz stated groggily. She stood and didn't question King as he followed her up the stairs.

"What do you think, sister? Time for bed?"

"Yeah, I think I've had my fun with these," she said as gestured to the rocks on the table. She stood and stretched as Lilith stifled another yawn. "Today's been fun. We learned things, not all pleasant, but we finally had a family meal that didn't end up all over the floor." They began to make their way to their respective room.

Lilith laughed. "True. We've had worse meals. I might investigate the man we spoke to today and see if anyone knows anything about him." She stopped at her door and looked over at Eda. "I couldn't help but feel like I knew him from somewhere."

Eda nodded. "I don't want Luz anywhere near the market until you know something."

"Do you think King would mind coming with me? If he is some sort of spy, King could run back and let you know."

"You'd have to ask him in the morning, but I don't think he'll mind." Eda felt a long yawn pull at her face. "I think we should get some rest first."

"Of course, good night sister."

"Good night," Eda responded. They both entered their rooms and silently shut their doors. Eda sighed as she was met with the sight of the mess she'd made earlier. "Eh, I'll get it in the morning," she told herself aloud. She crawled into her nest and was fast asleep before she knew it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I _LIVE_!!!! My deepest apologies for having been gone for so long. It was my senior semester at uni and it got very stressful very quickly. All is good now and I will attempt to update as often as possible before I start up work again. I've introduced the mysterious character from Dana's AMA on Reddit. Hopefully, I'm not wrong about him being a shady villain next season. To everyone that's graduated, _Congrats!_ Happy New Years and holidays to all and I hope that it's _significantly_ better than 2020 : D


	12. Red Eyes From the Shadows

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Everyone has quite an eventful day. I sure hope nothing happens to them...

Late in the morning, Lilith set out for the market in her navy blue cape. She searched the busy alleyways for faces she'd seen at the restaurant the night prior. The witch hoped that she would find someone who could give her a clue to the name of the red-eyed man. She hadn't seen him around the Emperor before, but that didn't mean he wasn't a hired hand or bounty hunter. King had promised Lilith that he would join her after Luz left for school and instructed her to wait outside the library for him. She was currently sitting in the shade and observing the crowds that passed. She was growing impatient before she saw a tiny cloaked figure running towards her.

"Sorry I'm late," he said as he stopped next to her. He caught his breath before continuing. "Eda had me walk Luz to Hexside and also wants us to walk her back once she's out. Eda also said that she's going to head out into the forest after lunch to gather more rocks and any possible trees for Luz."

"Tress for Luz? Why does Luz need a tree?"

"I think Eda wants to make something for her. She said something about needing to find her good knife."

Lilith thought for a moment. "What does my sister need a tree for that we can't get at the market?" King shrugged. "Well, we'll worry about that later. Let's see if we can get some information."

"You didn't find out anything yet?"

"I was looking for people from the restaurant but I haven't seen anyone."

"Why don't we go by the restaurant and question the leaving customers?"

"Great idea," Lilith praised with a smile. "I'm not a morning person; the thought never crossed my mind."

"It's a good thing you've got me then. All of you would be lost without me," King said haughtily. He led the way back to the restaurant and found that all the lights were off. "That's odd."

Lilith stopped a young woman and her child. "Excuse me, but would you happen to know anything about this establishment?"

Thankfully, the woman was paying her son more attention than Lilith and didn't bother to look at her face. "Uh, oh that little food place? I'm not too sure but it doesn't open until much later." Without saying much else, she hurried off with her toddler insisting that he get a toy from a vendor's stall.

Lilith and King shared a glance. "We won't be getting anything from patrons anytime soon then," the witch groaned. "Let's just ask random people."

"I don't know," King began. "If we do too much asking, we might draw a lot of unwanted attention to ourselves. We don't want that guy to know we're on to him."

Lilith nodded in understanding. "An excellent point. I'm pleased that I brought you along and not Eda. Knowing my sister, she would've blown up half the market just to get answers."

"She has her moments," King admitted with a chuckle. "I think we should ask a couple of vendors and a few people for right now. Then we wait until the place is open to question anyone who eats there tonight."

Lilith gave a full, genuine smile to the small demon. "You're a wonderful strategist and an intelligent observer!"

King waved off the compliment with a hidden blush. "Stop it, you're too much."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

(A few moments earlier)

Luz waved to King before turning and skipping into the halls of Hexside. She took a deep breath in before squealing with happiness and joy. A few students gave her odd looks, but most ignored the human. She sprinted towards her locker and was glad to see all her stuff was exactly where she'd left it. She grabbed her class materials and shut her locker. As she turned away to leave, she almost bumped into Amity and Willow. Amity grew bright red at the closeness of the human and took a large step back.

"Luz!" Willow hugged her friend. "I'm so glad you're here."

"Me too. I've missed you guys even though it's only been a couple of days," Luz admitted. "Hey, Amity."

The teen sputtered before squeaking out a 'hi' and hiding her face behind a book.

"I think she missed you and is just a little overwhelmed," Willow lied. She gave a knowing glance to the young witch. "We'll see Gus tomorrow...maybe. He sent me a message that he wasn't feeling very good today and was gonna stay home."

"Aww, okay. I hope he starts feeling better so we can hang out more. I've dying to see all of you but Eda doesn't like for me to leave the house much." Luz started walking with the other two teens to their respective classes. Willow stopped at her herbology class, which left Luz and Amity.

"How's uh...how's it been?" The green-haired teen rubbed the back of her neck. She wished she knew how to play it cool like when they had first met but here she was. "Like, have you been practicing any magic?"

Luz nodded her head. "Yeah, I've been helping Eda work on her glyphs so she can learn new spells. King and Lilith are doing some secret undercover work right now. You don't know how happy I am to come back to Hexside. Everyone has been so stressed about Emperor Belos and I don't really wanna think too much about it."

"What do you mean stressed? Has anything happened lately?" Amity hoped nothing had happened to Eda or Luz. As much as she liked Luz for the sweet, caring soul she was, Eda was equally so but in a much more inspirational way. The Owl Lady was growing on the teen and she could finally see why Luz was always in a good mood. The two had a great mother-daughter dynamic that just made a person want to feel the same thing. She could never approach her mother so freely.

"Well...Eda kinda had a panic attack that scared everybody yesterday. It's weird seeing such a powerful witch give into stress. I've always thought of her as this super powerful, laid back being, but she can get anxious just like me. She won't let me walk around alone anymore and she's just kind of suffocating me a little." Luz looked at the ground with a frown and a sigh.

Amity took a moment to think of what to say without giving Luz more stress. "I think that Eda just really cares about you. She's like a mother to you, so it's only natural that she doesn't want you to get hurt." What Amity _wouldn't_ give to have a mother figure like Eda!

The human turned to look at her friend in confusion. "You think she's like a mother to me?"

Amity felt like face-palming and groaning but kept herself in check. "Well, isn't she? She took you in; gives you everything you want and teaches you life lessons; she's there when you need her; and when you're in danger, her maternal instincts kick in. Isn't that how mothers are supposed to be with their kids?"

Luz thought of how Eda had evolved over the weeks the teen had known her. "Maybe? I don't know."

"Luz, Eda practically adopted you. Before you, no one could ever really get close to the Owl Lady. She's the most powerful wanted witch in all of the Boiling Isles and she fought the _Emperor's Coven_ for you. Even if she doesn't exactly see you as her kid, you did something to make her care enough to fight for you."

Luz remained silent as they sat in their chairs for their Spell Casting Techniques class. Had she really been adopted by Eda the Owl Lady? Sure, Eda had helped her out of a lot of tough situations and given her many pep talks...and enrolled her into Hexside under _her_ and not under her real mothers! When Luz first met the mysterious Owl Lady, she had been cold, distant, and rude at times. Amity was right that somewhere along the way, Eda had grown to care for her so much that she was willing to say Luz was under her care and that she was now the teen's guardian. There were also the moments that made Luz feel like she was safe and home when Eda would make sure she was comfortable if she fell asleep on the couch. Or the time when Eda made her a cape even though the cursed witch clearly needed it more.

The realization made Luz realize that she was only half aware of things that were happening around her at all times. How could she have just considered Eda as some cool lady who lived in a magic house within the woods? The teen decided that when she got home... _home_...When had she started referring to the Owl House as her home? Regardless, she now owed Eda as much care and attention she'd been given over the past few weeks. Luz could now pinpoint why she was so willing to fight as hard as she had to save Eda. Yes, they were family. A family of misfits and weirdos and it made her heart soar to know that Eda felt the same.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

(Meanwhile, in the forest)

Eda trudged deeper into the forest, eyes trained on the ground for more rocks that might help them with earth-magic related glyphs. She hoped that Lilith and King would find out something while Luz was at school. A part of her really wanted to find a reason to keep Luz from going, but she knew better. Luz needed a break from everything so she could finally stop having nightmares. The witch was glad to see that the human's attitude had returned to her usual optimistic nature before she left. King hadn't been pleased to walk the teen all the way to Hexside, but Eda wouldn't budge on her one request. After sifting through the last few rocks, she had left and entered the forest.

Now, she had about seven rocks in her satchel and she was about a quarter of a mile away from the Owl House. She chose a path in the opposite direction of Bonesborough to avoid running into any guards. She kept her cloak on just in case she did run into any nefarious characters on her hunt for glyphs.

 _How did they find all of those rocks yesterday? I wonder if they'll get mad if I just only go home with what I have. But then again, we really need to find more glyphs...The things I do for all of them._ Eda continued to scour the ground and even looked in dead trees to see if there were a few more rocks in the area. She didn't want to travel too far and have to worry about traveling in the dark. There was only so much she could do with Owlbert and the few glyphs she had Luz leave her. The witch stopped and sat on a boulder and looked at the trees around her. The thick canopy kept the forest floor nice and cool for the heavy cloak she wore. None of the tall trunks seemed like they would be good material for Luz to make a staff. They didn't give off the aura of an ancient, magical tree like the one she had used all those years ago.

Eda had decided when she woke up that Luz needed a staff in case they couldn't get her home before the revolution truly began. The only problem was that the trees were in short supply and almost all of them were owned by various schools of magic. It was possible that Hexside had their own tree, but Luz wouldn't be able to make one based on their rules and requirements. Eda released Owlbert from the staff so she could have some company before standing to resume her search. Another twenty minutes passed and only three rocks had been collected. She was just about to place Owlbert back on the staff to leave when she heard some twigs snap behind her.

She whipped around to see a shadowy figure standing near a tree behind her. She grabbed a handful of glyphs while Owlbert reattached to the staff. Eda did her best not to appear weaker than her opponent. The figure inched closer as Eda tightened her grip around her staff. She really hoped it was Luz and King messing with her so she wouldn't need to fight anyone with pieces of paper. Eda guessed that the individual would've already attacked if they meant her harm but her instincts urged her to turn and run.

"Hello there," a familiar voice called out. The cloaked male stepped out into the light and pulled his hood down. His red eyes seemed to glow even in the light. "Are you scrounging for mushrooms as well? I've just come from a fertile patch."

"No, I'm looking for rocks," Eda responded. There was no way anyone would know what she was up to with that response. "Why are you out here and this far from town? Don't you have a business to run?"

The man laughed. "I needed more mushrooms before I open my store tonight. I'm all about fresh ingredients." He took a step forward; Eda stepped back. "What's the matter?"

"If you're gathering mushrooms, where's your bag?" The witch eyed the empty-handed 'chef'.

"Ah...I must've lost my bag on the way over," he said and took more steps forward. "Could you help me look for it?"

"You walked all the way over here and only just noticed you lost it? I don't think so," Eda continued to move further back. She really wished she had her magic right now. There was no telling what this guy was up to.

"What's the matter? Surely you can help a humble person in need of assistance. That _is_ what you're known for now. The innocent witch who lives in the woods and helps those wronged by the emperor. Won't you help me, Eda the Owl Lady?" He set the witch with a gaze that sent shivers down her spine.

"Who are you?"

The man chuckled. Suddenly, he lunged at Eda. She barely managed to sidestep him and tossed an ice glyph at him. It froze his ankle to the ground. She mounted her staff and flew off as quickly as she could. She moved up and over the tree canopy, hoping that the sun and leaves would help make it hard for him to spot her. Behind her, she heard the sounds of wings flapping. Eda looked behind her and gasped. A large owl was quickly speeding towards her. She changed her course and turned towards Bonesborough. Now more than ever, Eda needed her sister's protection.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Lilith and King had discovered that the restaurant had only been open for two weeks and that no one recognized, nor knew the name of the owner. It seemed as though they would never know who the red-eyed man was or where he'd come from. The pair were walking towards Hexside when they heard people screaming not far from them. They looked towards the commotion and saw Eda being chased by what looked like another Owl Beast. There was genuine panic etched deep into Eda's face as she flew towards Lilith. Lilith waited until Eda was above her to throw up a small shield spell. The creature flew up to avoid crashing mid-air and began to circle around. Eda had landed next to King and was breathing heavily.

"Well, I found your shop owner," the red-clad witch informed. "He really thought he could trick me."

"Weren't you out looking for rocks?" King hugged himself around his friend's leg and looked up at her. "How did he find you all the way out in the woods?"

"We can talk about that later," Lilith said in a low voice. She had magicked up her staff and was preparing to fight off the Owl Beast. "Do you have any idea on how we can stop him?"

"Not a clue," her sister responded. She placed King between her and Lilith, the two sisters back to back as the mysterious man circled them from above. "I doubt he's cursed though. I don't know anyone that ever learned to control a curse like that."

"Maybe he's a demon," King added.

"That's certainly possible, but why is there a demon after us? Emperor Belos prefers to send guards to capture criminals, not demons of all things." Lilith gritted her teeth. She really felt like the situation was escalating out of hand now that there were even more questions about the restaurant owner.

For whatever reason, the creature looked off into the direction of Hexside where a flare was ascending. As if it were a signal, he turned and flew off back towards the woods. The trio shared a glance, trying to find out where the flare had come from. It was King who realized it after a minute and scurried off without telling the others. Eda and Lilith followed in a blind panic, calling after the demon before they recognized their surroundings. Eda scooped up King and flew off without telling her sister. Lilith was quick to catch on and followed the two on her own staff. Students were running from the school as coven guards surrounded the area.

As the trio neared the school, they could feel the ground shake as battles raged within. Eda searched the hectic scene for any sign that Luz was somewhere close by. She heard Lilith yell something at her as a part of the ceiling caved in overhead. She felt a body collide with hers before they crashed into a set of lockers. The older witch blinked stars out of her eyes as she tried to sit up. She looked down to see green hair and realized that Amity had saved her. The teen groaned and rolled off Eda.

"Sorry, but I didn't think you'd wanna be crushed."

"Thanks, kid. I owe you one."

"Can my one be you saving Luz from the Emperor's Coven? They're all over the place just trying to get a hold of her and there's some giant owl thing chasing her too."

Eda growled. "You better believe I'm not gonna let them take her." She picked her staff up from the floor and turned to Amity. "Get as many kids out of the way as possible. I don't want your parents to find out that you're associated with a bunch of wanted criminals. Where did you last see Luz at?"

"She was with Willow near her locker." Amity looked around. "Are you sure you don't need my help? I can help fight!"

"I told all of you that I don't want any of you to do anything reckless, which includes moments like now. So, get a move on before you get hurt."

Amity frowned but gave the older witch a hug. "Stay safe," she whispered before running off into a classroom to do as instructed.

Eda took a deep breath and hurried towards Luz's location. She hoped and wished and prayed that Luz was okay and could wait until she got there. She dodged a few pieces of debris as vines shot out of a wall up ahead. She caught a glimpse of Willow and Luz keeping a group of guards at bay. Eda wished she had her magic, but she supposed her fists would do for now. She threw all of her body weight at the first guard she could. She knocked a few to their feet and stunned the rest. There was a ringing in her ears as she let out a feral growl. _No one lays a hand on my family and survives!_

Luz jumped back as a ball of red hit the guards like a furious bowling ball. She was surprised to see that this terrifying force was Eda. Magicless but nowhere near any less fierce as the day Lilith challenged her. It was like a mother bear protecting her cubs. And...was she _beating_ the coven members up! She could feel the rage rolling off her mentor in waves like a pickax against a rocky cliff. Luz shook herself out of her stupor and threw an ice spell at the few guards who were still standing in shock. 

Willow followed suit and tied the remaining guards up in thick vines. After hearing one guard cry for help, Willow pulled Eda's victims off to the side as well. The older witch was breathing heavily and whipped around to see Luz and Willow in one piece. Her shoulders slumped and a sigh of relief seemed to decompress the furious witch. Luz rushed past Willow and hugged Eda.

"How did you know that we were being attacked?" Luz looked up at her mentor with watery eyes. "I was worried that they were going to take all of us in."

"Don't worry, I'm here now," Eda said softly. "Now, I think we should get out of here before more coven members are sent. King and-"

Just as she said his name, he ran up to the two witches with a victorious squeal. "There are no men that can defeat the King of Demons!"

"I'm just glad everyone's okay," Willow voiced from the side.

"Come on, kid, you deserve a hug too," Eda said with open arms. She was glad that the teen accepted the offer and did her best to make the teen feel safe. The group made it back to the entrance where most of the students, teachers, and Principal Bump had gathered. There weren't anymore guards in sight as far as Eda could tell, which removed a great weight from her shoulders. Bump approached the group and was just about to say something when Eda felt a tug at her hair.

"Wait," King said as he looked around, "where's Lilith?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A lot of plots in this one chapter to have more content to write and set the scene for future chapters. Hope you enjoyed it!

**Author's Note:**

> So, I kinda just let this story run its own course. I know that there isn't any such gift shown in the tv series, but I find it hard to believe that Luz hasn't given her at least one little gift here and there. Let me know what you think in the comments and I hope you enjoyed it!


End file.
